Alexis Winchester
by Emerald Princess 14
Summary: It's a sisfic which deviates a little from series but if you love sisfics, I guarantee you'll like this one. "it shattered my feels like no fanfiction or television show ever has before. You have won the award for best fanfiction, miss. I'm having trouble putting this into words." - Cinderbunp. Check it out, I don't disappoint! Remember to R&R!
1. Chapter 1 - Visit From Ruby

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, this is my very first fanfic and I'm really excited. I wrote the first 6-7 chapters years ago, hence why they may seem a little less sophisticated, but I didn't want too change much which is why I left it the way it was.

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 1.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 28/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. Alexis Winchester and the term 'ankle biter' is taken from "Alexis Winchester's Story" written by sammygrrl00. The character is my own but I wanted to keep the same name because out of all the stories I've read, hers stood out to me the most and I felt if Sam and Dean did have a sister, she would be Alexis.

Please check out sammygrrl00 story about Alexis, it's an awesome story and I follow it closely

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**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 1 – Visit From Ruby**

We had been travelling for four hours and I was about to doze off. Dean was sleeping in the passenger seat and Sam had taken over driving two hours ago. I could see Sam drifting in and out so I decided to lend my help.

"Hey Sammy, you want me to drive?" I asked him from the back seat.

"And let Dean kill me for letting you behind the wheel? No thank-you." He replied keeping his eyes on the road.

"You know that I'm an awesome driver and I wouldn't dare risk the Impala. Come on, I can see you're about to drop." I persuaded him. Sam stayed silent, thinking up my offer. He slowly pulled over and hesitated before giving me the keys. I was ready to bolt out the door and into the driver's seat but Sam stopped me.

"Jump over. If we open and shut the door, he'll wake up."

Twenty minutes later I was cruising down the highway with Dean snoring peacefully next to me and Sam fast asleep in the back seat. We were heading to Eagle River, Wisconsin to hunt a Jinn. It was some kind of genie and Dean had fallen victim to it once before. We weren't going to make that mistake again. This hunt we had to stick together.

I thought about the alternate reality that Dean had been sent to. Mom and Jess were alive, dad had died, Sam was a hotshot lawyer, Dean had a life; a girlfriend who happened to be a nurse, which was way classy for him and I lived with Mom, a few blocks down from Dean. I didn't like the fact that Dean and Sam didn't get along per se and that Sam lived in California but hey, Mom and Jess were alive.

I wasn't so sure about the hunting. I hated losing mom and dad to it and I hated that Sam and Dean's lives were in danger every time they hunted, but it brought us together as a family. Dean was right, if we hadn't hunted, we wouldn't have been as close as we are. I imagined myself in that life. I'd probably have a boyfriend seeing as Dean would be preoccupied, I would have done the whole school thing properly and I'd be onto making a career for myself.

I wonder if I would have given Jess and Carmen a hard time before they got close to Sam or Dean. If I wasn't close to the boys in this alternate reality, maybe I wouldn't have cared who they date. At least I knew that in the real world I hated anyone who hurt Sam or Dean and that was something I could hold onto. For example Cassie; I wouldn't let her near Dean again. I wished I could see it… or at least had some time with mom. Out of this whole mess, which we called our lives, mom is the one thing I miss the most. Never getting a chance to meet her hurts me more than anything else ever has.

I wondered what she would be like. Dean had the best memory of her and Sam had close to none but it was different for me. I never knew her, but I am one hundred percent John and Mary. I was often confused as a child as to why I was born without a mother. Mary Winchester died on November 2nd 1983, the day Sammy turned six months old. Dean is eight years older than me and Sam is four. How was I born three and a half years after my mother's death?

Yeah, this is where it gets a little crazy. I was delivered from beyond by my mother. Turns out I was destined to be in the family and mom was two months pregnant with me when she died. I was born in some supernatural plane three and a half years later. If mom had been on earth, it would have taken another seven months and then pop, out I came.

Two months worth of me was developed but after mom died, her spirit took time to reassemble her body and it took six months for every average month left to develop the rest of me. That is seven months multiplied by six months for each so it turned out to be forty two months, which happens to be three and a half years.

I was born with crazy written all over me and I'm guessing mom was a little scared that I wasn't all her child because I had tanned olive skin and black hair. It just happened that because my mother was a spirit, I could inherit less of her features and more of my father's. So because she focused on making me look beautiful and as feminine as possible she didn't realise that this meant I'd be giving up her golden hair. She settled for the black and she gave me her strong yet petite frame, her nose, her cheeks and her lips. When my father found me on the doorstep at the age one day old with a letter from my mother he took me in without a second glance.

Sam and Dean often marvel at my tan skin complexion and my dark curls. My brothers don't exactly look like twins but I certainly throw people off with my dark hair. However, though we are different, if you lined us up you wouldn't doubt that we were related. I don't know what people see but they just know that we are a family.

Anyway, back to mom. Dean said she was the kindest mother you could have and we recently found out that she was a damn good hunter. I didn't doubt what he said at all. When Dean told us mom had grown up as a hunter, I had been over the moon. I was a great hunter; just like my brothers but being a girl meant I lacked physical strength in comparison to Sam and Dean. This meant I had to be a better fighter than both just to level with them. I guess I inherited part of my fighting nature from mom. Sam and Dean trained me to use my body as a weapon which could weave out of almost any situation, so that the supernatural strength which monsters possessed wouldn't be my downfall. Over the years I had become an expert in evasive fighting. I also had a love for weapons… be it daggers, knives or guns; I had trained myself to become agile and precise with them. It was essential when people were in trouble.

I'd had my fair share of fights… actually in honesty I'd probably had more than Sam or Dean. My brothers had learnt over the years that I was very willing to throw myself head first into a fight and it became their job to restrain me when my brain stopped working. I often forgot that I wasn't invincible when I had to fight and I remained oblivious to all injuries until after everything was over. It was a bad habit.

Dean was stirring next to me; I hadn't realized how long I had been thinking for and how far I'd driven. We were fifteen minutes from the where we needed to stop. False alarm, Dean was still asleep. Twenty minutes later I pulled into a nice motel and went to get us our rooms. A woman in her late forties was at the front desk with a kind smile plastered on her face. She had beautiful brown hair and was wearing a nice floral dress.

"What can I do for you sweetheart?" she asked kindly.

"Could I get two queens or three singles for two nights?" I asked reaching into my jeans for a credit card. She started typing away.

"Sure hon. Where's the rest of your party?" she asked glancing up. I smiled thinking about Sam and Dean sprawled inside the Impala.

"My two brothers are knocked out cold in the car. Can't blame them, they did most of the driving." She looked past me and must have spotted the Impala.

"Where have you come from?" she asked with soft curiosity.

"Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It's been one hell of a ride." I replied trying not to think about the angel-demon confrontation we had just run from.

"I'd say so! Your family on a road trip?" She asked. I laughed to myself… if you want to call it that.

"Yeah, it's been a while." I replied handing her the card.

"I know what you mean. I need to point a gun to my husband and sons heads to sit for a family dinner. Credit or savings?" she asked swiping.

"Credit thanks. Where are your folks?" I asked wanting her to stop focusing on me.

"Hubby's gone on business with my eldest and my younger one is out back fixing the pool. Sweetie will that be one room for the three of you?" she queried. I looked up at her. Hadn't I been clear?

"Yes thanks."

"Well I'm going to bump you up to a nice spacious room since you've been such an angel. It's hard to get a decent conversation around here." She offered smiling. Sweet!

My mouth had other ideas.

"No, sorry, I couldn't do that to you." I rejected her offer mentally slapping myself.

"Business is slow around here and I get most of my income from my husband's company so it won't matter to me. Don't be daft, just take the room." She scolded as she offered me the keys. I took both sets and smiled at her.

"Thank-you. You're very sweet. I'd better get back to my brothers." I said quickly before she revoked the offer.

"Your brothers… let me guess, knocking the boys that line up in front of your doorstep out the park?" she asked almost giddy at the thought.

"How did you know?" I smiled uneasily.

"You've got a pretty face and they're all the same, if they don't want you, they need to keep you safe. It's one or the other." She said knowingly.

"Spoken wisely, by the way, my name is Alexis." I stuck out my hand. She reached out and shook it.

"Helen."

"I'll see you around Helen."

I left the reception and headed back to the Impala. Sam and Dean were still out which was unusual. They always woke at the smallest of sounds and I guess I didn't realise how tired they actually were.

The motel was nice. It was in the middle of the country but Helen had turned it into somewhat of a resort. We were on the second floor overlooking the pool. I dropped the bags off and ran back downstairs to wake Sam and Dean up. The quicker Sam and Dean hauled ass, the more time I got to spend in the pool.

"Sammy, Dean, come on, get up, we're here ."

"Where's here?" Sam replied groggily from the back seat. I reached out to the steering wheel and hit the horn. Both my brothers jumped up in shock and groaned out loud.

"The motel. They have a beautiful pool and I'm jumping in with or without you guys."

"Geez Lex, did you have to?" Sam groaned holding his head. Dean shook his head until he had regained his eyesight and then he fixed his gaze on me.

"You drove my car." He stated. I shrugged. This usually wasn't a problem so I was a tad confused.

"Well Sam was sleepy and I didn't get a scratch on it so we're good right?" I asked cautiously. Sam opened the door and got out from the backseat. Dean was still sitting in the passenger seat with the window down.

"We would have been good if you hadn't busted my baby's horn." He replied coldly. Sam was stretching with a smile forming on his face.

"Yeah, about that..." I started moving away from the car as Dean got out looking very cool. He looked calm but he was walking towards me at a determined pace.

"Drop it you two... I wanna get some rest." Sam interrupted. I was pretty hungry and I knew the boys wanted some sleep, so I did the logical thing.

"Fine, you two get some rest, I'll go get the food." Dean locked the Impala and nodded.

"I can live with that. I want a cheese burger with large fries, onion rings, a vanilla milkshake and M&Ms." Dean shamelessly ordered.

"Dean, you're going to get fat." Sam retorted stretching his arms.

"I have my ways of working out." He winked. I so did not want to know.

"Eww... anyway, Sammy, what do you want?"

"Chicken burger, caeser salad, and lemon water thanks." He replied. Those two were complete opposites.

"What, are you on a detox or something?" I asked skeptically. If he wanted to detox… there was a lot I could say about demon blood.

"Eating healthy isn't a crime Lex." He retorted. I turned around and started walking towards the exit.

"Aren't you going to ask for the Impala?" Dean asked.

"Nah, I'll walk, I need the sunshine."

"Yeah, coz you're so pale." I heard Dean mutter.

"Vitamin D Dean, not everything is about tans you know."

I walked happily to the local diner and ordered what the boys wanted. The lady serving looked like she had been picked out of a 1930's magazine. That hairstyle was nice but way too old.

"Anything else?" she asked politely.

"Depends, what other food places are in this town?" I asked, curious to know and tired of burgers.

"We got pizza, more burgers, pancakes & waffles and sushi."

"Sushi?" I hadn't had sushi in ages. "Leave it at that for now, I'll be back in ten. Where is the sushi place?" I asked her. She ripped the piece of paper off the pad and stuck it on the pin board, then turned around and pointed out the window.

"Two streets over, three streets down. Its right at the edge of the town, people usually mistake it for a laundry because of the pink colour." She instructed.

"Are they any good?" I asked reaching for my money.

"As good as sushi gets. You here alone? Not that this town is dangerous or anything but a single gal travelling alone always attracts unwanted attention. Just a warning." She told me mysteriously. I gave her a strange look and left. People were weird in this town.

She moved off to start on the orders. I'd heard that enough times and I was sure that some trouble would find me on the way to the sushi place. So, instead I wondered around the back of the diner and followed the path which lead to a small park.

It was small and cute, fairly busy and a nice place to sit and think. But let's face it; I'd already done enough thinking. It was the perfect time to dig for information on the Jinn. I spotted a woman in her late twenties helping who I predicted was her son, onto the monkey bars.

"They grow up so fast don't they?" I asked her as I approached her from behind. She looked up at me as she let go of the cute toddler, who at the moment was given freedom from his mother, sprinted across the bars and then up the stairs on the other side.

"They do, four years and he can swing from bars. Always what a mother wants." I laughed, generally amused.

"Alexis." I announced as I held out my hand. She eyed it, then shook it replying,

"Mandy." She turned back to oversee her son. "Are you new in town, I don't remember seeing you before."

"Yeah, just got here today, doing a lunch run for my drivers." I replied keeping my eyes on her energetic kid.

"What brings you to this small side of the world?" she asked. I thought about having some fun.

"Thought I'd travel while I could, before I pop." I smirked, imagining Dean's face. She turned her head around and glanced at my stomach with widened eyes.

"I didn't even notice, you seem so young." She blurted out, "Excuse me for asking, but how old are you?"

"Eighteen. Only two months though. I've been eating like crazy." I lied. Fortunately I could pass off for eighteen.

"You really can't tell. Is the father with you?" I think she seemed a little nervous. Why? I don't know.

"Nah, he's on trial, has to stay in sunny state of Florida." I replied pulling out a story from my ass.

"Trial? For what?" she asked confused.

"My rape, what else? You think I want a kid at eighteen?" I asked her. She looked embarrassed and looked away.

"I'm so sorry." She told me sweetly.

"What for? You didn't do anything." I said shrugging off her remark. This teenage character was easier to play than I cared to admit. Not a good thing.

"Question to a local." I asked moving forward.

"Shoot." She replied her eyes on her son.

"How long do you suggest I stay here? I mean, how many days does it take to get a good look at everything?" I stretched next to her.

"If I were you, I'd leave as soon as I could." She grabbed her son and tucked his shirt in before letting him loose again.

"Why's that?" I asked nonchalantly. Finally, something useful.

"A whole bunch of people have gone missing in the past three weeks. Five to be exact and no clues as to where they've gone. This town is getting dangerous and if I could, I would leave but raising a kid by yourself is a pretty tight job. I've got no money for food let alone gas." She told me.

Now I felt bad. I was playing but she was serious. Being single and raising a kid would be difficult and I was making fun of that. I wasn't going to blow my cover but I would definitely try and help her out.

"Sorry to hear that. Thanks for the help but I got to run. Drivers orders." I winked at her and walked back to the diner.

When I got back, Dean and Sam were up and both had their eyes glued to the laptop screen like they had hit some sort of jackpot.

"Good morning, I hope you both slept well." I said to them as I put the food down.

"What is up with you?" Dean asked clearly surprised at my attitude.

"In the span of an hour, I've had three conversations with three _lovely_ ladies." I told them sarcastically.

"Any that helps with the case?" Sam asked as he walked over to the food.

"Kind of, one young mother told me about the disappearances so nothing new there but another lady did tell me to keep conservative because a single gal, like me, travelling alone always attracts unwanted attention." I stated repeating her advice.

"What? Who told you that?" Sam's expression mirrored Dean's, quizzical.

"The lady at the diner." I replied pulling out Dean's pie.

"Do you know if she was a demon?" Dean narrowed his eyes.

"No, but now that I think about it, her eyes were awfully black..." I replied seriously as I sat on the bed.

"Your sarcasm and ridiculous sense of humour is going to bite you in the ass someday." Dean threw my bag at me and went for the food. I rushed over and picked up my muffin before he got his hands on it but luckily he was already working on the pie.

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That night we started asking the missing people's families about the disappearances. Sam and Dean decided to be private investigators so I stuck to my job of staying in the car and keeping watch. That happened to be when Ruby came to pay me a visit.

"So squirt, how've you been?" I jumped forward in surprise as she opened the Impala door and sat beside me. I reached for my gun immediately.

"What the fuck! What are you doing here?" I had my gun pointed at her head but all she did was smile.

"You know bullets don't work on me, so why do you try?" she asked placing her hand on my gun. I hit her hand away.

"Because you're still a dumb bitch; we hunt the supernatural and these are rock salt bullets." I smiled as she growled.

"I came here to warn you about something." She told me suddenly becoming serious and keeping an eye on the house in which Sam and Dean were in.

"I'm not going to believe a word that comes out of your filthy mouth." I informed her cocking the gun.

"You might have to. It's about Sam." She directed at me. I lowered the gun a little. "See this is one of Lilith's latest plans. There is no Jinn, just Lilith killing a bunch of innocents to lure Sam out here so she can kill him." My heart dropped. Not Lilith…

"How can she find us? We got the protection to ward her off from Castiel?" I asked confused. We were protected from Lilith, she shouldn't be able to find us.

"You think that works on you? Even hell doesn't know how you came to be so obviously there are a whole new set of instructions that go with you." She spoke to me like I should have already known that.

I thought through her accusations for a while and tried to come up with a logical solution. Ruby was shifty, but when it came to Sam, I did tend to trust her information. She was ridiculously fond of him or as Dean and I preferred to say she was 'warm for his form'. This situation wasn't all that bad; there were things we could do.

"Fine, I'll just get Sam and Dean, we'll call Cas and find a new way to shield me."

"I've done my research cupcake, there is no way to shield you from Lilith, not after she's drunk your blood." My mind wandered back to that horrible night when Meg had held Dad captive, when we went to save him, when Meg took a vial of my blood. It must have been meant for Lilith. We all thought Meg was a crazy bitch then for taking my blood but now it made sense. Lilith wanted to hone in on me whenever she could.

"So then why are you here?" I asked. Ruby's presence unnerved me, no matter what the reason.

"Well aren't you ungrateful." Her eyes kept darting back to the house… she didn't want my brothers to know she was here. "Now I want Sam alive as much as you do and I want him to be able to destroy Lilith. That can't happen while he's near you because Lilith will keep interfering. So for Sam's sake, you need to disappear." She begged.

I laughed outright.

"You're joking." I chuckled. "I'm not going to leave Sam." I told her.

"And what happens when Lilith finds Sam because of you and he isn't strong enough to defend himself. He may have survived before but Lilith's power is growing and you've stopped Sam from drinking demon blood. Who's going to save Sam then?" she asked me. What, did she forget that we had angels on our side?

"Castiel." I said to her. "Castiel will save Sam from Lilith." I argued. She smiled.

"The same Castiel who threatened he would stop Sam if Dean couldn't? Yeah, trust him to save Sam." She pointed out. It really pissed me off that she knew that, meaning Sam had told her.

"So what…I move away from Sam so if Lilith ever finds me, I won't lead her to him? Fine, Dean and I will organize some-"

"And what makes you think Dean will let you leave?" she interrupted. I paused. Would Dean let me leave when there were demons crawling around everywhere? I doubted it. But there had to be a way. Maybe I could keep Castiel with me. No, Sam and Dean needed Cas more than I needed him. Anna was on the run… so I was alone. I was of no value to the angels… so why would they offer one of their comrades down to protect me?

"Alright, so I leave… alone," I scoffed not believing it would ever come to that, "and then what happens when Lilith finds me and draws Sam and Dean out? Did you think about that? I can't leave. I'm better here with them than I am on my own. I can help them here and they can focus when I'm not missing." I told Ruby. She nodded, expecting this argument.

"Well there's more to it. Look I know you hate me and I really don't like you but you have to listen to me. This is for Sam and if you care about him, this is the only way. You have to run away, without Sam and Dean following you. When you're on the other side of the world... before Lilith finds you and tortures the answers out of you... you have to kill yourself." She revealed abruptly.

Whoa, just hold on a second. It took me a while to comprehend what she had just said to me.

Kill myself?

Let me get this straight. As I sat there in the front seat of the Impala with a loaded gun pointed at her head, Ruby was telling me to leave the two people I loved more than anything else in the world and then end my own life. Wow, bitches get stupid in hell.

"I'm going to blow your brains out." I spat at her and cocked the gun.

"Wait!" Before I could do anything she grabbed my arm, cut me with her knife and then held it over her hand. I was pissed about the invasion of personal space but I was too entranced by what my blood did to her hand.

It was like a drop of acid, just sizzling away on her skin and it didn't stop. She writhed in pain as it destroyed her skin, muscles, bones and veins and then the drop fell through her hand and onto the floor. Ruby held her hand close to her chest.

"Your blood is marked with evil. You can't escape it. Now that Lilith has your blood in her system, you are marked." She said pressing on her wound. I just stared at her holding my own hand, trying to stop the bleeding.

"You have to leave; she'll kill him and no one will bother bringing him back. She'll find him because of you and you have the power to save him. Lilith is going to kill Sam and then she'll kill you. The angels won't bring either of you back… only Dean matters to them. Then Dean will be left here without you or Sam… what do you think that'll do to him? You are the weak link; get rid of the weak link Alexis, you have to. Then Sam can live and Dean won't be alone." She begged her eyes once again on the house.

I was baffled.

I couldn't stay with Sam because I'd lead Lilith straight to him and I couldn't tell my brothers I was leaving because they'd stop me from going off on my own in this dangerous time. Worst off, I had to kill myself because there was nobody left to protect me and if I stayed alive… Lilith would draw Sam out. Was this really happening? My eyes moved to the house and I imagined what my brothers could be doing inside.

"Um... I can't run away from Sam and Dean, they'll just call Cas and he'll find me. He can do that, no matter what I am." I told her. Attempts to flee would be futile with Dean ordering Cas to find me.

"Yeah, Sam told me about that. I came prepared." She told me, "This bracelet shields you from angels. As soon as you've worn it, you're off the grid." She held out a silver charmed bracelet. "Are you going to do this?" I just stared at her. I put the gun down and took the bracelet.

"I...I'm." I didn't know what to say.

"Look, I know you'll come around eventually, I know how much you love you Sam and Dean. But please, the longer you take, the more likely Lilith will come. Do the right thing Alexis." She said quietly and then she was gone.

Bitch.

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**Author's Note:**

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 28/07/2013.**

Hopefully you guys like the story so far! Please R&R, I'd love to know what you think. I'm more than happy to take up suggestions and incorporate your ideas into my story!

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	2. Chapter 2 - Forming A Plan

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, here is the next chapter. Like I said before, please remember I first came up with this plot when I was much younger and I'm trying to shape it now. The plot may seem a little bizarre but it's going to get better. Feel free to review, it only takes a couple of seconds but makes me super excited! Enjoy :D

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 2.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 28/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 2 – Forming A Plan**

Life had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. I was thinking about leaving my brothers and then killing myself. I so badly wanted to run into that house and tell them everything. Feel Dean's protective arms around me and Sam's reassuring voice that everything was going to be fine. But it wasn't going to be.

I had known from an early age that there wasn't a whole lot I wouldn't do for my brothers and my actions from now onwards affected their safety. I would hate to leave Dean alone on this world… taking orders from angels and not even have Sam or I to back him up. If I couldn't be here for Dean, I'd have to leave Sam behind to take my place. They could get through this together, but Dean wouldn't do it alone.

I put the bracelet in my back pocket, put my gun back, took out my knife and waited. I had cleaned up and bandaged my hand when Sam and Dean came out.

"She was so checking me out Sam." Dean declared as he walked to the Impala.

"Dean, she was grieving. Not every girl is hot for you." Sam rolled his eyes as he reached for the door. They both got in.

"Ankle biter, tell Sam every girl is hot for me." Dean ordered assuming I was going to take his side.

"I'm not." I pointed out with an eyebrow raised.

"You're not a girl; you're my baby ankle biter." Dean stated as he turned around to look at me. I had to keep a straight face.

"Whatever Dean, so did you guys find anything?" I asked keeping my eyes averted.

"No, and why is your hand bandaged." Dean asked almost reaching out to take a look.

"Oh, yeah, I was hoping you wouldn't notice..." I said softly looking down. I could tell them the truth, oh God, I wanted to so badly, but... "I was playing with my knife and I kind of wasn't paying attention and just don't laugh."

"Wait, you did that to yourself? Are you okay?" Sam asked half amused and half concerned.

"Yeah just fine." I grumbled.

"Wow, award for stupidest move goes to the young lady in the back seat of the beautiful 67 Chevy Impala, that's right ladies and gentlemen, Alexis." Dean announced drum rolling on the wheel.

Normally I would have had a smart ass remark for Dean... and normal was the way I was going to have to act.

"New entry just came in and the award goes to the dickhead in the front seat of the over rated 67 Chevy "Crap-Ass" Impala, the guy who tailed the wrong guy for days and then attempted to exorcise a demon which wasn't in him." I announced leaning back in my seat. Sam burst out laughing but Dean looked less than impressed.

"You're grounded." He stated coolly.

"For what? Teasing you about a case?" I asked disbelievingly. Dean didn't have the power to ground me…

"No, for ragging on my baby." He informed me.

"I'm your baby." I told him as I spared Sam an amused glance which he returned.

"Not anymore you're not." Dean replied. Ouch. At least he'd leave me alone which would give me some time to come up with a plan.

"Geez, don't get your panties in a twist. Anyway, I was thinking, what if this isn't a Jinn. Just because Caleb left one unattended, doesn't mean this is it. It could be something else. There are a few upper class demons who could be leaving a trail so similar to a Jinn." I pointed out to Sam. Dean started the Impala and pulled away.

"Sam, is there anything that absolutely pins this as a Jinn?" Dean asked. Sam scrunched up his face and thought for a moment.

"No, she's right, there is a very small chance it could be something else." Sam admitted.

"Okay, we get back, we call Cas and then see where to go from there. You guys okay with that?" Dean asked as he pulled onto the main road.

"Yeah sure." Sam mumbled from the back seat. And so we headed back to fraternize with the angel.

* * *

"It's Lilith. She's here for Sam."

Cas did not hold back and those words hit all of us hard. Though Ruby had already warned me, hearing it from Cas made it real, it confirmed my worries and took away my breath. I had to sit down just as Sam did. Dean however had gone into big-brother mode.

"What! How! Cas, you said she wouldn't be able to find us! How does she know we're here?"

"I don't know how she's doing it. It's one of those things that angels aren't told."

"This is freaking bullshit!" Dean threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

"What if someone's snitching on us, a mole?" Sam asked from his seat.

"What, you mean Bobby, or Ellen or Jo? Come on, seriously?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Maybe demon possession or what if it's one of the angels? Would you know Cas?" I asked.

"No, but I'm going to find out." And the he was gone. He looked pissed. I know we'd grown close to Cas but I think it had come to that stage where we were like his babies and nothing was allowed to mess with us.

"This shit just keeps getting better!" Dean yelled to no one. Sam was still sitting there. He suddenly got up.

"I'm going to end this right here and now." He walked to his gun. Dean was between him and the door in a heartbeat.

"No, you're not. Sam, Lilith knows you're here, she's ready to kill you and we have nothing. We actually have nothing. You are going to sit your ass down and wait until Cas has more information. No, we're leaving." He stated heading for his bag.

"What, no Dean, she's killing innocent people to lure me out. I can't let them get hurt. I have to do something." Sam argued reaching for the door. I slapped his hand away and he glared at me.

"Sam, you're being reckless. You know it's a trap." Dean walked up to him.

"I don't care!" Sam yelled.

"Well I DO!" Dean yelled right back at him.

"HEY!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. They both stopped their bickering. "Cut it out! Dean you have to be more reasonable. Sam's not a child and you can't just bark orders with no explanation. Don't turn into dad. Sam, you have to listen to Dean. Lilith is an evil bitch and she's going to do anything and everything to lure you out but whether you were here or not, she'd be killing innocent people anyway. If you give in and confront her, you're gone and that's worse than her just killing a thousand people or so. The minute you're gone she's going to destroy everything anyway and that cannot happen. You have to stay alive so here's what's going to happen. We're going to pack up our stuff, we're going to get into the Impala and we're going to go to Bobby's. Then we cook up a plan that's going to fry the little whore's ass. I don't care if those people die Sam, you're more important to me than anything else and then of course, the rest of the world comes second." I smiled at him.

Dean smiled at me, "Well who knew that my ankle-biter, who I am still pissed at by the way, would come through and turn out like her awesome big brother?" he had a ridiculous grin on his face.

"Are you guys going for my plan?" I asked.

"I can roll with it." Dean smirked.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, I guess. What would we do without your wisdom?" he grumbled sarcastically still not happy with people dying.

"Probably crash and burn." Dean nodded and started to pack. Sam went to grab his stuff.

In an hour we were done packing and loading up the car. I felt my back pocket and rest assured the bracelet was still there. Dean wanted food and to be honest, I was starving so we were going to stop at a diner an hour away, far enough from this town.

I had an hour to study bus routes, motels and the least likely way Dean and Sam would imagine I went. Come the diner and I was gone. I looked over at my brothers in the car. Dean looked content but deep down I saw the worry he had for us and Sam… he wore his heart on his sleeve so the troubling look on his face was blatantly clear as to how he felt. I was going to miss them, but maybe I wouldn't remember after I was dead. I didn't know. I forced my vision back to the screen before the tears in my eyes fell and exposed my game plan.

* * *

I Google mapped the diner and found a bus stop really close. It could take me to several towns where I could catch other buses or maybe even a train and then from there to an airport. I decided to get off at the diner, travel past Wausau, and travel south, past Madison and then straight to Chicago.

We finally stopped and Dean practically flew out the car and into the diner. By the time Sam and I got out, he was already sitting in a booth and ordering. I put the laptop in my bag and looked for anything else that I was missing. Sam waited with me. I was stalling and Sam noticed.

"Lex, everything okay?" he asked pensively.

"What? Yeah, of course. Why?" I replied, drawn out of my thoughts.

"Well, because you seem more OC about keeping the Impala clean than Dean." He pointed out smiling.

"Okay, Yeah I'm a little nervous...I had a bad dream." I scratched the back of my head.

"What, now? In the car?" Sam asked looking in the backseat as if I had left the dream behind.

"Yeah, actually, I think it was a day dream." I replied sounding like a complete loser. Sam held in a laugh.

"Oh... so basically just you... worrying." He cleared up.

"No, not worrying, more so pondering." I told him placing my bag neatly in the trunk.

"About..." he queried waiting for me to continue.

"Lilith." I admitted sourly.

"Okay, I'm going to need a tad more than that." He said placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Let's talk about this after we eat huh?" I suggested. He gave me a disapproving look. "I promise." I held out my pinky and he reluctantly made the promise, looking around to make sure no one was watching.

"Alright, come on, Dean will eat the whole diner if we don't hurry." He said pushing me ahead of him.

"I'm pretty sure he already has." I replied watching him impatiently tapping his fingers through the window.

Dean had graciously ordered for us and was painfully waiting for the food to be speed cooked.

"Damn, how long does it take to cook some chicken? You know, if we just opened the gates to hell, that heat would have my chicken done in no time. I should have ordered food that didn't need to be cooked, this is taking forever!" Dean rambled. Sam and I exchanged wide-eyed looks. Luckily once the food had arrived Dean settled down and world was safe from his wrath.

Sam's food still had to come so he went to the bathroom. Dean and I were both quiet as we stuffed our faces until he asked,

"What were you and Sam talking about outside?" his eyes still on his chicken.

"Nothing much." I replied not looking up. Damn, he had noticed the delay.

"Yeah, is that nothing the reason you can't look at me?" he asked. He had stopped eating and was watching me now.

"I'm concentrating on my food Dean." I answered in an exasperated tone so he would leave me be.

"You can eat a three course meal with your eyes glued to nickelodeon, why can't you look at me?" he asked. The real answer; if I looked up at him, I was pretty sure the troubles bubbling up inside me would come cascading out of my mouth and I couldn't let that happen. I looked up, into his big green-brown eyes and I cried inside. That was the best I could do.

"There... happy, I looked at you." I told him, eyes back on my food which looked more and more unappealing by the minute.

"Alright, we'll pretend that that wasn't screaming teen angst, how about the conversation?" he sidetracked.

"There's nothing to it Dean." I murmured with food in my mouth.

"What, now you're going to keep secrets from me?" He pushed his plate away and leaned closer to me across the booth. "You tell me everything, Sam's the one that keeps secrets and so you're going to keep a secret from me with Sam. Do you know how many levels of betrayal this is? And you're going to lie to me about it? Since when do you lie to me?" he asked. His voice had changed and I knew he wanted to know.

He was jokingly worried and he was a little hurt that I had favored Sam over him. I did tend to rely on Dean a little more than Sam, we all knew this, and so this must have stung. I didn't look up from my plate, trying to think of a reasonable lie to tell him. I wasn't very skilled in this area because I never really lied to Dean.

Suddenly I was looking at him but it was because he had lifted my chin with his hand until I couldn't look away. He followed my eyes with his head, interrupting my vision until I stopped moving. He looked me straight in the eye, no anger, no jealousy, no sadness, just concern.

"Lex, what's going on?" My eyes filled with tears and one slid down my cheek. It didn't escape Dean's notice. He wiped it away with his thumb. I swallowed.

"Just this whole thing with Lilith again. It's so frustrating, a lot of the time; I don't know what to do." I whispered. I guess I was going with the truth. He held my face and didn't break eye contact.

"Baby, it's not your job to know what to do. That's what I'm here for." He smiled lightly. I smiled back and looked back down at my food.

"I thought I wasn't your babe anymore." I said quietly. Dean went back to his food.

"You're always my baby Lex, no matter what." He replied. Okay, tears in T-minus ten, I had to leave.

"Could I grab your keys?" I asked him standing up and pushing my food aside.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"I need some Advil." I raised my eyebrows and he cringed.

"Here, do what you have to." He passed them to me. I power walked out of the diner and to the side of the car hidden from the diner. I slid down the side and took a deep breath. Was I really going to do this? This didn't seem like something I'd do but I had a habit of acting spontaneously.

I couldn't leave Sam and Dean, it was too hard. They were my whole life. My parents, my siblings, my friends... all equal Sam and Dean Winchester. How could I leave them? How could I leave Dean? I hated Ruby for what she was making me do.

Suddenly Castiel appeared before me.

"Cas?" I asked from the floor. He looked down, confused.

"Alexis. What are you doing out here?" he asked. I scrambled up in front of him and he reached out to help me.

"I came for some stuff from the car and then I dropped the keys. What are you doing here?" I asked brushing myself off.

"I have news, come, we must tell your brothers." He replied as he turned for the diner.

"Um... okay." I muttered as I fell in step beside him. No chance now.

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 28/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Send some love in the form of reviews! The next chapter will be up soon xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	3. Chapter 3 - A Conversation With Castiel

**Author's Note:**

Next chapter! The reason I'm posting the chapters so quickly is because I've already had the first 5 or so written. After that I might post weekly. Please feel free to review, I'm more than happy to take suggestions and even if you are perfectly content, let me know I'm doing the right thing so I can continue doing it. Reviewing only takes about half a minute and I would greatly appreciate the love!

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 3.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 29/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 3 – A Conversation With Castiel**

"Hey, look what the cat dragged in." I smiled at Sam and Dean as I walked in with Cas.

"Hey Cas, any news?" Sam asked, straight to business.

"Yes, I have some valuable information." He replied as we approached the booth. We both sat down and I continued with my food. I wanted to keep my eyes down so I didn't give away the fact that there was no angel mole but in fact I was the reason Lilith knew our whereabouts 24/7.

"Do you know how she knows?" Dean asked Cas who looked away for a moment.

"We believe that one of you might be tainted." He answered. I stopped eating and from the sounds of it... so did Sam and Dean.

"What do you mean 'tainted'?" Dean asked not looking too happy, but then again, when did he ever look happy when Cas had news. Cas directed his answer at Dean.

"Tainted, as in after all the evil the three of you have fought some creature out there may have left a mark on you, a mark which calls out to Lilith, allowing her to know where you are at any time." Well damn, he figured that out quickly which meant my plan had to move faster.

"So, it's one of us. Nobody's been snitching on us?" Sam asked him.

"No, all your friends are as loyal as they say they are, but we are going to have to do something about this situation and you may not like it." He warned us. We didn't say anything; instead just waiting for Cas to continue.

"I will have search your body for the mark." He dropped on us. Some very vivid visions came to mind and I shook them out of my head quickly before I became traumatized.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean by search?" Dean asked, again not looking happy. Knowing him, we were thinking along the same path. Cas cleared his throat and leaned forward like he was about to tell us a very big secret.

"I place my hand inside your bod-" he started but the three of us cut him off in a commotion.

"No way. Absolutely no way in hell or back-" Dean waved his arm in the air.

"Too weird and gross. Can't do it Cas." Sam moved further away from him as if Cas might actually start looking at that very moment.

"That is a total invasion of privacy and personal space." I pointed out to him. Poor Cas looked a little left out of the loop.

"There will be no blood involved. I remind you, it is the only way." He glanced up at Sam who was still subconsciously inching away. Dean leaned forward towards Cas.

"No blood, so you're going to use your mojo?" he inquired.

"Yes Dean, it is an angel procedure after all, but even though there is no blood, that doesn't mean it isn't painful." He looked to me as he said it, like I was the one who was most prone to crying out. It was probably true.

"Alright, we'll do it. If it helps keep that bitch away from us we're in." Dean resolved as he leaned back in the booth, relieved.

"Okay, that's great, but Cas, can we do this at Bobby's. I'm not quite comfortable with you sticking your hand in me in public." I joked weakly trying to buy myself some time.

"Even in private Lex, that's something you shouldn't be comfortable with." Dean muttered to me.

"Ewwww, Dean." I hit him as we left the booth.

The whole ride there I was staring out the window, trying to figure out how to leave now with Cas up my ass. Sam sat in the back with me and I could tell he was restless. I watched him for a while and smiled at the way he moved. I'd never noticed the small things and suddenly it seemed important to me. I looked away and out my window, waiting for Bobby's place to arrive.

* * *

We got to Bobby's and hurried inside. A storm was brewing and I did not want to get wet, plus I was having a good hair day. Sam and Dean went to find Bobby out in the back while I put our bags down. Cas followed me up the stairs, into my room and then shut the door behind us. I turned around, confused by his actions. Happy was the last emotion you'd describe on his face.

"Is this the part where you kill me?" I asked sarcastically.

"What are you doing Alexis?" He asked completely ignoring what I thought to be a ridiculously well-timed and cute sense of humor.

"I'm putting the bags down, don't worry, I'm not armed." I laughed lightly hoping he was referring to anything other than my escape plan.

"I know you're hiding something from me and your brothers. Let me tell you, it is not a smart move. We protect each other and keeping secrets will only tear us apart." He told me as he moved closer. I stopped myself from moving backwards. "What are you hiding?" he asked. I pulled my eyebrows together trying to play it cool.

"Cas, cut it out. I am hiding nothing from you." I told him. He leaned a little to his right and looked at my ass. Jesus Cas, way to be discrete.

"So you don't have a bracelet in that back pocket that has some sort of supernatural quality?" Oh shit. "Don't lie to me Alexis." I sighed.

"Okay, so I have a bracelet, it's pretty and keeps away Uriel and his bitches. There's nothing more to it." I shrugged and moved to walk past him but he blocked me.

"So why didn't you tell us about it? Lying won't help your situation. I can tell when you're lying. I know you have a plan, a plan none of us will approve of but a plan nonetheless. What is it?" He looked deep into my eyes. Castiel was getting to know me a little too well.

"Even if I had a plan that you wouldn't approve of, why would I tell you?" I asked him pointedly. He didn't break eye contact.

"Because since the four of us don't know about your plan, it is a plan based off information you received from a demon, presumably Ruby. She most likely lied to you and I may have another way out of the situation you might be in." he answered in his serious and informative manner. I thought about it. Maybe Cas did have a better solution to my problem.

"Alright, but you have to promise not to tell Dean... or Sam or Bobby." I crossed my arms waiting for his response. He pressed his lips tight together.

"I can't do that Alexis." He said softly. I wasn't going to budge on my condition.

"You're going to have to. Swear on it." I demanded taking a deep breath. He sighed and looked at me. I knew he hated lying to Dean, not that he ever did it much but Dean would get so pissed when he found out Cas knew. He finally nodded.

"Alright, I swear not to tell."

* * *

I told Cas about my plan and Ruby's information. The poor guy looked pretty disheartened throughout the whole telling and finally had to sit down when I came to the climax... my death. He kind of just stared into space for a bit while I stood there awkwardly waiting for him to say something. That's about the time that Sam walked in.

"Cas? What's going on?" he asked the both of us. Oh shit, I had to cover.

"Cas is kind of on the angel frequency at the moment, we should let him concentrate. Come on." I escorted Sam outside and shut the door behind us leaving Cas to his thoughts. Sam was already facing me as I turned to him.

"Are you hiding something?" he asked trying to figure out if I was about to lie. I put on my best poker face.

"No, no. He could tell something was up, just like you and Dean." I brushed off any sign of suspicion and drew Sam into our previous discussion. He nodded satisfied with my answer.

"About Lilith? Right, we have a conversation to finish." He grabbed my arm and led me to his room. He sat me down on his bed and waited for me to begin. Here came more lies… or more methods of avoiding the whole truth.

"Like I told Dean and Cas, I'm not feeling so great about our odds against Lilith, again. I'm tired of her and lately it just seems like she's never going to go away. You don't have to worry though. Cas and Dean both said that sticking together is the only way to win this out." I explained to and reassured him. He looked a little relieved, maybe because Dean had beaten him to the punch.

"Well, they were right. We need each other and right now, your best contribution to this whole dilemma is to research and not worry. That's why you've got two older brothers, we do the worrying."

I was about to say something, but I couldn't even remember what it was because Cas walked in and gave Sam a list of ingredients he needed. Sam gave my shoulder a squeeze and left but Cas stayed and the argument we had was one of our worst.

* * *

It's truly amazing how you perceive people. Someone who you thought was a kind and naïve messenger of God can in an instance make you feel like a child again, and not in the good way. I had only remembered Cas as firstly the crazy guy we didn't know and then the confused yet endearing angel who saved my brother's lives on a regular basis.

Never did I picture him as someone who could corner me, lean over me as I crawled into a ball and absolutely destroy everything within me. As soon as Sam had left, I found myself in an abandoned library, not one that I recognized. If I wasn't otherwise preoccupied, I would have paid more attention to its olden heritage and unique designs. It must have been a soundproof library in the middle of freaking nowhere otherwise the whole town would have heard Cas.

His voice changed; no longer soft and nurturing like it usually was when he spoke to me. The first thing I remember is the way he closed the ten foot distance in two steps so his face was inches above mine.

Then he yelled.

My ears were about to burst. Then there was a pain in my shoulders. I had been staring open eyed at his face, the way his mouth was a gateway to terrible words and the way his eyes were grilling mine but the pain in my shoulders became too terrible to ignore. Then I knew why.

Cas had grabbed them and was holding me so tight my bones were about to snap. I yelled at him to let go but I couldn't hear myself over him. I was screaming at the top of my lungs but even I couldn't hear the sound. Not because he had taken away my voice, but because his was so loud. He did let go of one shoulder, which I thought was an improvement until he used that hand to grab my chin and hold my head in place while he continued to yell all kinds of things. I kept screaming at him, whether it be to let me go or to actually rebut all his arguments, but he wouldn't listen.

Maybe he heard me, maybe he didn't but at that moment, I was scared. Castiel was something I didn't recognise, he was acting in a way I had never known possible and he wasn't afraid of hurting me. Worst of all, my brothers weren't with me.

I was crying by this point; no longer having the energy to yell. I was pleading for him to let me go but he kept telling me that I had to promise him something. Promise that I wouldn't kill myself, but there was no way I was going back on that. The only reason Cas was acting so violent was because he knew there was no other way. He knew that no angel in heaven would drop their job to come protect me, that no angel in heaven would give two shits about Sam and that the result of all that would destroy Dean. So he continued to try and force me into changing my mind.

Then Cas did something I thought he would never do. He slapped me. So bloody hard I heard something crack. First I was looking at him and one painful millisecond later I was looking behind me. He grabbed my hair and threw me into the corner. I lay there unable to move, more of a mental restriction than physical. Then he stepped towards me and somehow I reflexively curled into the corner. I guess I could move. He knelt in front of me and his head hovered above mine.

"Don't you understand how important you are? So willing to throw your life away? I keep telling you and you CONTINUALLY ANGER ME!" he was gritting his teeth but his voice was still hurting my ears.

"Cas," I whispered, barely able to, but he heard, "you're hurting me. Why are you like this?" I asked weakly.

"Your brother's would never be able to do what I have to, to make you see sense. There is no other way to change your mind when it comes to your brothers, maybe the pain will." He answered me, finally at a volume I could bear.

"You're... going to t..torture me?" I asked hardly able to believe he would. And then his voice changed back.

"Alexis, I do this for your benefit. The angels will agree with your ridiculous plan and then you'll be gone forever. I can't deal with that. I love you and I can't lose you. You and your brothers showed me hope in a dying world, I can't lose that hope. You mean everything to me and if I don't do this, they'll get through to you. They'll let you die. I have to hurt you, to save you." He spoke softly.

"Cas, if I don't do this, I'll die anyway and Sam will too." I tried to make him see reason.

"I can try and get the angels to see reason. Maybe they will offer you protection." He told me in denial.

"You know they'll never do that." I answered realistically.

"There's always a chance, but if you die... it'll destroy them, and me." He argued weakly.

"Cas, I'm begging you, please let me go." I requested. He kept staring at me, internally battling through his decision.

"Do you hate me for what I've done?" He finally asked. He was still leaning over me but his hand softly held mine and his stance was protective.

Cas was a deadly force of nature, one that could cause great harm. My being here was proof of what he was capable of, but my being here was also proof of his love. No matter how much he had terrified me, no matter how much he had hurt me in the last hour, I understood him. We were all that mattered to him other than God. I squeezed his hand lightly.

"No Cas, I don't hate you. I love you all the same because I understand, not that I would have been strong enough to do what you did for me." I admitted.

"Alexis," he looked at me with pained eyes, "You're about to."

And it dawned on me he was right. This wasn't just a scare tactic. He had done to me something he hated to do, something I was terrified of but something for what he had believed was for the greater good. I was about to sacrifice myself for my brothers, even though I hated putting them though the pain of losing me, I was going to scare the hell out of them when I left and tear their hearts when they found out I was dead... and all for what I thought was the greater good.

Was I doing the right thing? In one hour, the pain and fear I felt before Cas was something I was never prepared for and never wanted to experience again. And I was going to do the same thing to my brothers. Would they be the same people afterwards? Would they be strong enough to keep fighting? In the moment I thought Cas was gone for good, that he was no longer who I knew, I was ready to give up. How would my decision leave my brothers?

Cas sat next to me and I lay me head on his chest as he put an arm around me. Tears ran down my cheeks. Ruby, Lilith, leaving Sam and Dean, Cas' outburst, it all hit me at once but I didn't cry. The tears came but I was too tried to cry.

"I thought you were really going to hurt me; that you would kill me and never tell Sam and Dean I was dead." He pulled me closer and kissed my head.

"You must know this Alexis. It may sound ridiculous after what just happened, but I would never hurt you." I laughed outright. Yeah, that did sound ridiculous.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked peeking up at him.

"Alexis, I value your life over a moment of fear and pain. I'd rather you lived with pains that strengthen you than die in a less than peaceful way. I want you to be forever happy and safe but the night is darkest before first light. You're brothers could never have done what I did." He told me.

"They believe they can protect me from anything." I stated.

"When they are with you, they can, but one day they won't be and then you'll suffer. I love you enough to do what's necessary but they love you so much that even after teaching all that they can on how to protect yourself, they themselves stand ready to take on the world for you." I knew that was the truth.

"You hit me." I said it simply. No accusation, just a fact. I looked at him and he pulled his arm away. His eyes met mine as he unbuttoned his shirt. After the first three buttons, he pulled it open exposing his chest.

"I can move faster than anything you know. For each time I hurt you, there is ten." His chest was covered in cuts, perfectly lined and grouped in five. The cuts were deep and made from an angel blade as the scorch marks remained. There was definitely over one thousand. It must have been incredibly painful. Then I noticed his arms had coverings as well. I unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and took it off.

His body was covered.

I looked up at him and his eyes held mine. I kissed him on the cheek. This seemed surreal. What happened to the time when it was just me hunting monsters? Where did these angels and demons come from and why did they like to screw with my head? Why did Cas give such a big damn that I was going to die? I was expendable. Cas and I didn't have any romantic feelings for each other. The only explanation was that he was on the path to losing his mind. Marking himself with an angel blade after beating the shit out of me? There was something really wrong with this whole scenario. It was best to just get out before the two of us became more delirious.

"Castiel, I forgive you. Please take me home."

And suddenly I was. On the bed, still on my knees and with all injuries healed, but Cas was gone.

* * *

"Cas?" I whispered into the room. He didn't appear. I quickly got off the bed and stood in front of the mirror. There were no visible signs of injury and it didn't look like I had been crying for just over an hour. The haunting images of Cas came back to me and in that instance, so did the fear. I wanted so badly to be held, to be protected just for a while. To be a little girl again and to not have any problems, problems that required terrible decisions to be made. I wanted someone to tell me it was going to be okay and that they would handle it all, that I didn't have to worry.

I wanted Dean.

I didn't know how long I had been gone for in the real world, I didn't know if they had noticed my absence but none of that mattered as I ran out of the room. I swung around the staircase and was halfway down when I stopped. I looked into the kitchen and saw my family. Bobby was sitting at the table, resting his legs on a chair with a beer in one hand, a book in the other and a gun on the table in front of him. Sam's head was in the fridge, his big body swaying behind him in the kitchen and Dean... Dean was leaning against the counter, away from me, eating a pie.

My moment of insecurity had to pass; the mask had to be put back on. I couldn't tell them anything that had happened, or what I was planning on doing. That would ruin my plan, which would get them killed. No matter how much I wanted their protection, no matter how much I wanted to tell them, no matter how much I needed them, they were more important. I had to protect them and that meant growing up.

But he was so close. All I had to say was 'Dean', or better yet, just stand in front of him with my innocent eyes and he would know. He would know in a heartbeat and I would be safe again. It was that easy. So tempting and so easy.

So easy to slip up.

I loved my brother, he was my whole world. I couldn't let him die. I would save him from that fate. I had to pull myself together. Screw honesty, screw Cas, screw my problems. Act tough, act like nothing happened. Act normal.

"DEAN!"

The words left my mouth before I could truly process the dark shapes which appeared before me. Sam's head was out of the fridge and his hands on his gun pointing towards the back door where there were two. Bobby's chair was upturned his gun pointed towards the basement. Dean's gun had fired two shots already, killing two demons that stood in front of me and he was in the middle of pulling the trigger once again.

Would I run back up, or towards Dean even though there were demons in my path? I wasn't going to Dean for help with my other problems but I wasn't stupid enough to run AWAY from him when there was danger one foot away from me. He saw the resolution in my eyes and he was happier with me coming to him rather than picking the alternative, running upstairs alone.

One second before I began running down the rest of the stairs, he was already in action killing another two and halfway to the living room. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs there were only five demons left. I took out my knife and sliced the neck closest to me. A big burly one grabbed me up by my upper body but my hands snaked around his neck, my legs flew up and over his head so I was sitting on his shoulders and I twisted his neck. Bobby was fending demons away from Sam and Sam was exorcising. He wouldn't get to finish because Dean had three demons left to kill.

One was running my way. I jumped off the man and ran at the new one. As he got to me I dropped to my knees and slid under him. I turned instantly and stabbed him in the back of the neck but it didn't matter because Dean's bullet got him first. I knew there was a girl to the left of me so I stuck out my leg, a sidekick to the face but before my foot could connect to her face, a bullet embedded itself into her head from behind her. She fell forward to reveal Dean and his smoking gun. Cas was right. I was a professional killer but Dean was still the one who killed for me. He lowered his gun.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyes on me. I nodded meekly and looked past him at Sam.

"Sammy, Bobby, how you two doing?" he asked, eyes still on me.

"Never better." Sam was still armed. Bobby had put the gun down and was on his way to his charms.

"How in the hell did they get in?" he asked to no one in particular.

"That was my doing." The voice came from behind me and caught me off guard. Before I turned around, I shivered at the breath down my neck and bolted for Dean. I turned around in time to hear Sam say loud and clear,

"Uriel."

* * *

"Alright ass-hat, what are you doing here?" Dean asked irritated. I knew better however, than to anger Uriel right after fighting with sweet Cas.

"Your endearing terms for me are not welcome boy, let me make that very clear. Your skills however are commendable. Not many hunters in the history of time have ever been as efficient as this group." He pointed to us all.

"You didn't answer my question, oh mighty angel. Last I remember we weren't on very good terms with you or your gal pal, who we've never even met, Zachariah." Dean really needed to shut up but luckily Uriel ignored his snide comments.

"I have been assigned to watch over you." He informed us.

"What? But why? We have Cas don't we? Sam was equally confused as I.

"And frankly, he's a bit too much for us as well. You angels come with your own share of fu-" Dean never finished his sentence because suddenly he was writhing in silent pain. Uriel, who had gotten tired of Dean, had removed his voice and only he knew what was going on inside of Dean. Whatever it was, I was less than happy about it.

"Stop it! Leave him alone! Uriel STOP!" I was looking squarely into his eyes. When he finally looked at me, he stopped with the torture, with a sudden understanding in his eyes. He went on without hesitation.

"Sam Winchester, Castiel has been removed from service due to the negative influence he has upon the Winchesters." He gave me a pointed look, one I didn't understand.

"He has been making numerous mistakes and costing us in this war. Zachariah in now in charge of disciplining him and during that time, I will take his place." He sat in the armchair and put his feet up on the table. Sam and Bobby walked into the living room to get a better view of him and Bobby helped Dean up. I hadn't paid any attention to Dean after he was safe, the threat was Uriel.

"What mistakes has Cas made? And why couldn't he come and talk to us before he left?" Sam asked getting agitated. He didn't like that fact that Castiel was Zachariah's bitch anymore than I did.

"That is confidential, which is why he was removed without warning." Uriel replied keeping an eye on Dean who was still catching his breath.

"But Lex, wasn't he with you? Did they take him away while you were there?" Sam asked me. I shook my head.

"No," I answered, "he phased us to a library for a bit and then phased me back. I don't know where he went." I replied uneasily. I wasn't going to divulge the rest of our activities to the class.

"What were you doing in a library?" Bobby asked. I couldn't tell if he was curious or suspicious.

"Research... and then we argued, but it's trivial. So when do we get Cas back?" I turned back to Uriel and so did the boys.

"When I deem it appropriate."

"Why don't you take that tiny brain of yours and deem it appropriate now because I want Castiel here and I want you gone. Why? Because you're a backstabbing, two timing whore with angel herpes." Dean spat at him. He was suddenly on his knees again.

"Alright STOP IT! He's still young, and an idjit, let him be." Bobby came to Dean's aid. Why were the demons here and how did they get in? How did you get in?" Bobby diverted Uriel's attention and San helped Dean up.

"It's very easy to influence a simple human to cut a mark to let me in however he also cut a few demon marks and I thought I'd let you deal with them first." Uriel smiled.

"I feel so safe with you as our angel, letting us take the brunt of the fight and all." Dean said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "You're meant to protect us!" he yelled.

"You owe us that much after everything you've put us through." Sam added.

"I owe you nothing. I will tell you this though. I am the only angel alongside Zachariah who will communicate with you. Calling for Castiel won't help because where he's going, his own screaming will drown out any calls of help from you."

"Why are you doing this to him?" Sam asked, pleading for answers. Uriel's eyes caught mine for a second and suddenly I understood.

"He did something very wrong. And he will be punished severely for his efforts." He smirked to himself. "I'll be in touch." And then he was gone.

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 29/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Hope you guys had fun meeting Castiel and Uriel. I don't plan on Alexis having a love interest for some time because I think it'll take from the story but like I said, you are more than welcome to give me suggestions. Send some love in the form of reviews! The next chapter will be up soon xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	4. Chapter 4 - Uriel Makes A Move

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoy this chapter! I understand that not everything makes sense yet, but hopefully I can keep you guessing. Send some love in the form of reviews. I got so excited with the one review I did get, I don't know what'll happen when I get more. Special thanks to **snn7b** for my very first review ever!

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 4.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 4 – Uriel Makes A Move**

"Why the hell did they take Cas?" I asked turning to the boys. Everyone looked real pissed.

"What did Cas do to deserve this?" Sam asked rather than answering my question. Dean groaned in frustration.

"Why the fuck did Uriel have to be the replacement? Why the egotistical, fun shack with no sense of humour?" he complained. It was good to see where his head was at.

"How are you going to survive around him with all your remarks?" I asked Dean as I walked up to him.

"Like you don't mouth off every chance you get." He shot at me while I looked him over for any injuries.

"I know better than to piss an angel off." I pointed out to him as I took his chin in my hand and turned his cheek. He slapped my hand away.

"I'm so pissed that they took Cas!" Dean's voice got louder; it prompted Sam to help out.

"We'll find a way to get him back, we'll just have to figure out what he did first." He reassured Dean.

"I have a feeling it was something we would approve of." Bobby said, watching us pace in his living room.

"Yeah, the angels hate all our ideas, something we would do..." Dean tapped his temple as if an idea were brewing in his mind.

"Shoot first, questions later?" Sam suggested.

I looked around and realised how much of mess we'd made. I also noticed that every demon was dead in their vessel; hence all these humans were dead. My heart suddenly felt extremely heavy. Here we were, complaining about which angel got to protect us and all these people… their families would be grieving. We weren't the most important people in the world; I often forgot that.

"We've got to do something about these bodies." I said interrupting Sam. Bobby walked over to me and put an arm around me. Apparently he'd been watching me.

"They would have killed us before we could finish the exorcism, they had to die Lexie." He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I looked up and took a deep breath, it had been one hell of a week and I still had more shit coming my way. I still hadn't had the chance to run away.

"I'll get a truck ready; we'll load in the bodies and head down to Ralph's." I said quickly and walked out of the room. The air was cool outside and storm clouds were still brewing.

When I got to the far end of the lot, I opened an old red Nissan, sat on the floor in the back and shut the door. It was both peaceful and lonely in there and I hadn't had any alone time in a while.

On that floor was where everything hit me at once. Last time, only twenty minutes ago, I had Cas by my side but this time it was just me.

I cried about Ruby's information and the fact that I had to leave my brothers, I cried about Lilith wanting to kill Sam, I cried about Cas hurting me, I cried about Uriel taking Cas away because of what I had done and I cried about all the dead people in Bobby's house.

It was overwhelming and I was surprised that ten minutes later I still had water left in my body to cry out. I thought over and over again about Uriel's words, where Cas was going... I knew now why he was giving me those looks and why they took Cas. Castiel was protecting me from them and they didn't like that. They wanted me to die because I was expendable, a nuisance and I wasn't exactly supportive of Dean doing their dirty work. This was all my fault, the reason for everything going wrong was my fault. It was so damn FRUSTRATRING!

Suddenly, my phone vibrated and I saw it was Sam calling. I picked up.

"Hey, where are you?" he asked. I wiped away my tears almost as if he could see me.

"I went for some gas and decided to take some time." I answered trying not to sound emotional.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding a little concerned.

"Yeah, fine, just, after what happened, I needed some time. I'll be home in half an hour, is that okay?" I asked him.

Then I noticed Sam was standing a few feet away from the car and oblivious to the fact I was hiding in the back seat. He must have come looking for me and called when he couldn't find me.

"Do you want me to come?" he offered. I so did not. The whole reason for me hiding was so that they wouldn't know I was a mess.

"No, really it's fine. I just needed some air and some food. Nothing of the emotional sort, so don't worry, I'll be home soon." I reassured him lightly.

"Alright, bye." He hung up, looked glanced around the lot and walked back to the house. I must have been getting better at lying if Sam couldn't tell over the phone. I was just glad Dean hadn't called, that would have been a disaster. He would have called my bluff before I even said 'hello'. I sat back down in the car again and rubbed my face in frustration. There was a box of tissues on the dashboard and upon reaching for them I found a pack of mints. I took one out and was about to rip it open when my phone vibrated again.

It was Dean.

Shit, shit, shit! I contemplated not answering but then knew it would worry him so...

"Hello?"

"Open the door." I looked up and saw Dean's face in the window. I jumped at his sudden appearance and the mints fell away. I just stared, unable to comprehend how he knew I was in the car.

"Lex, open the door." Numbly I felt for the lock and let it click. He shut his phone and got in the back with me. Unlike me however he sat on the seat and then shut the door. Once the doors were locked he looked at me with an amused expression. I was still sitting on the floor trying to think of how my plan had gone wrong. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up beside him and suddenly his face went back into big brother mode.

"How'd you know where to find me?" I asked, still very much confused.

"I'm not an idiot Lex; I've known you your whole life. I know where to find you." He answered me with a knowing look.

"What about the red Nissan?" I asked. He couldn't have possibly known which random car I decided to hide out in.

"It's the car I would've picked if I was hiding from me. You're not that complicated you know." He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you'd be surprised." I mumbled.

"Care to share little sister." He asked me. I did not want to have this conversation.

"Shouldn't you be able to guess oh mighty one?" I joked hoping he'd leave it alone.

"Where was this attitude when Uriel was around? I could have used your back-up." He told me leaning back in the seat. Castiel's face flashed through my head and panic must've shown in my eyes. I was stupid to think he wouldn't notice.

"Lex, please tell me what's going on." He shut his eyes and put his hand on my knee. "I know there's something bothering you and I don't know why you won't tell me. Since when do you not tell me things?" His eyebrows came together. He became serious. "Whatever's wrong, you know I'll take care of it."

I couldn't stand it, I had to tell him. It was so easy to pour my troubles onto him and let him fix it; it was as easy as breathing. I wanted to cry all over again and let him in like I always had. Dean knew how to make everything right; he always had.

"Dean, we have so many problems in our lives and we kill without thought. All those people in there, they must have had families too and we don't give a shit about them because all we can think about... well… is us. Here we are complaining about Uriel when there are defenseless people out in the world with no angel at all." I told him. It was the truth, but only a fraction and it was enough for Dean. He looked down thinking of a way to phrase himself.

"Lex, I killed eleven demons in there, and I did it without hesitation. I didn't think about the people that were inside, I didn't think about their families and I didn't even think about the bullets in the colt." He looked up at me with determined eyes.

"All I could imagine was those demons chasing you up the stairs where you'd be alone, without me. I thought about all the different ways they could kill you when you began running to me. I thought about them killing Sam behind me. All I could think about was your safety." His jaw hardened. "It scares me to think about the things I would do for the two of you without hesitation. The things I am willing to do without a second thought because the two of you are my whole life. The things I do scare me… what I did today scared me, but," he paused, "I never feel guilty for killing. In those situations it's either them or you and you have to pick yourself; you have to pick your family because without them you would be lost. Without them, you can't live." He confessed.

I thought about that fact that I was going to leave them both. What would he think then? Would he be able to live knowing that I was sacrificed for him? I didn't know, but he had to live and that was all that mattered. He was my hero and I couldn't bear to leave him topside without both Sam and myself. He needed at least one of us with him.

I leaned into him and rest my head on his chest. He wasn't expecting it but he welcomed me into his arms.

"You didn't have to come out here." I whispered.

"It's my job to protect you." He said into my hair.

"I'd hardly call this danger." I said softly. He ignored my comment.

"Don't hide things from me Lex." He told me out of the blue. His mind was still on it. My heart jumped. Did he know?

"Dean, we all need privacy." I defended quietly. He loosened his grip slightly.

"And you thought you could deal with your guilt in privacy?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. I didn't want to worry you." I replied meekly. His hand found my chin and he lifted my face up so he could see my eyes.

"What worries me is that you thought you couldn't tell me what was going on with you. That scares the life out of me. You can tell me anything Alexis. And when you stop, that's when I realise that you may want to leave." He scoffed at himself and I frowned.

"Leave?"

"Dad, Mom and Sam, they've all left before. You're the only one who stuck around. Our whole lives, the one person I could always rely on was you. You were so honest and innocent. As a kid, you'd tell me everything about your day and I guess that grew into you never keeping secrets from me. If that changes and you hide things, like Sam did before he left for Stanford, we'll fall apart and I can't deal with that. I can't lose you too. Just, don't put me through that Alexis. Don't hide things from me." He looked out the window.

This was a total chick flick moment but I didn't care. Didn't he know what he was putting me through? I was about to commit every act he was against and he wasn't making the process any easier by bringing it up now. Did he know that in this week alone, his words had made we want to cry more than when I watched Titanic. I loved Dean, don't get me wrong, but he was killing me at the moment.

* * *

We stayed in the car a little longer, probably because he knew I needed some reassurance and let's face it; that was what Dean majored in. Castiel was still in the back of my mind, I couldn't seem to forget that his pain was my fault. I remembered his scars, the cuts he inflicted on himself and a question came to my mind.

"Dean, why is Cas so protective of us?" I asked him while he drove. We were on our way back to the house after filling the tank. Dean had not been impressed with the car but still wanted to drive… typical. He glanced over at me.

"Because he likes us? I don't know. Why are you asking?" he asked focusing on the road.

"All the other angels act like we're a rectal tumour and treat us like freaking kindergarten puppets, but Cas is different, he respects us. I just want to know why." I paused, "That's probably a big part of why they took him; they didn't like him giving us freedom. They must have wanted him to control us instead and he didn't, so they took him from us to 'rediscipline' him." I told Dean.

I was leaning against the window so I could read Dean's expression. I needed to know why Cas went to such great lengths to save me; lengths which involved scaring all things nice out of my system.

Dean stared pointedly ahead, he was thinking and trying his hardest to give me an honest answer. Finally he spoke.

"Well, when we first met him, he had purpose. He's changed. I guess in heaven it's all talk but down here we're actually doing something. He found us, a family that kills evil for a living. What we do down here is what his clown of a family is supposed to be doing upstairs. I guess he has more faith in us than those yahoos up there." He glanced up to the sky.

"But is that worth rebelling against your family?" I asked. It was still a big risk for Cas.

"Lex, he's not rebelling against his family, he's siding with them. Family doesn't end in blood. Cas' family is no longer the rest of those arrogant, pain in my ass angels. He lost his faith in them. He believes in us. I thought you knew Cas was family."

I had never thought about Cas as actual family, just as a guardian. Dean resolution made me feel even worse because if it was true, then I had let my family take punishment for trying to protect me. Again I thought about the fact I was planning on doing the same thing to my brothers and that Dean was right here beside me. One slip of the tongue and he would know. It would be so easy to tell him...

"What if he comes back different?" I interrupted my own thoughts before I got tempted to tell Dean. The more I thought about telling Dean, the closer I would come to ruining my plans. Step 1, shut up. Step 2, plan escape. Step 3, under no circumstances think about telling Dean. Him finding out I was about to haul ass was not an option. Instead I kept myself and Dean occupied by asking him questions.

Dean answered all my questions honestly probably thinking I was getting over my small depression. Even though I had found myself annoying in the car ride back, he got out feeling fairly content that I was better. Shame on me for being such a deceitful sister.

* * *

Sam handed me a necklace when we got to Bobby's. Since we were expected to trust Uriel, he wanted us to be prepared against backstabbing angels. I sometimes forgot that Sam was also my older brother.

"Keep this around your neck at all times. I tried to make it as light as possible so it doesn't get in your way when you fight. This clasp can tighten if you think you'll need to flip but under no circumstances do you take this off. You sleep with it, you shower with it, and you even give it a name because that's how close you two are going to be. Understood?" He asked me as he placed the necklace around my neck and shut it while I played with the tiny silver charm.

"Yes sir." I saluted. He pushed my head playfully. "So can I take it off-" I didn't get to finish because he tickled me and made me jump a foot in the air.

"Sam!" I yelped, I was ridiculously ticklish and he knew it was my weakness.

"What? Did you find that uncalled for?" he smirked and then ruffled my hair, messing it up. I slapped his hand away from my head and he laughed.

"That's low Sasquatch. Even for you." I smiled at my own distasteful joke. He lifted an eyebrow as he watched me.

"Don't take it off." He told me simply and then he walked out of the room. I knew he was going to help Dean and Bobby load the truck with the dead bodies. I had told Sam about me feeling down and just like I had Dean and he had understood in a second. They both knew I needed my space so neither of them asked for my help. I carried myself up stairs to unpack the bags. Halfway there I realised my bags should have remained packed to allow for an easy escape but I continued upstairs planning on unpacking the boys' bags and slowing them down, not that it would really do much. I also thought a few laundry runs were in order.

My plans were cut short because Uriel was waiting for me in my room. I almost bolted back out the door due to instinct and then grasped he was here in peace. I was suddenly very grateful that Sam had forcefully put the necklace on me.

"Uh, hey. What are you doing here?" I asked waiting at the door. Uriel was standing next to my bed and staring out the window, presumably at the boys.

"I told you I would be back to check up on you." He replied simply.

"Any reason for camping out in my room? I'd feel a lot more comfortable with one of my brothers around." I confessed. After Castiel's outburst, I was suddenly very conscious of the power that the angels had, unlike Dean unfortunately.

"I came here specifically to speak to you." He answered and I took a reluctant step closer. The door shut behind me and my hand moved to the back of hip where it rested on the hilt of my gun which was tucked into my jeans.

"Do not fear me child, I am here to help you." Uriel stated as he turned to face me.

"The kind of help that requires closed doors?" I asked skeptically. He ignored me.

"Would you like your brothers to know that you plan to run away and kill yourself?" he asked. I froze. How on earth did he know?

"What are you talking about?" I asked, playing dumb.

"We've been keeping an eye on you Alexis." He told me not holding back any information. "You are a liability to us, which is why we support your plan." He admitted.

Holy Shit. Not what I was expecting but I tried to roll with it.

"Say what?" I asked still keeping my hand on my gun.

"We have seen how much you care for your brothers, which is why we do not wish to hide anything from you. We believe you will comply with our terms. Understand that I am telling you the truth." He said calmly. What was he talking about?

"Whoa, what terms?" I asked before he got ahead of himself. He smiled and it only made me feel more unnerved.

"The terms which allow you to live." He stated.

I stopped moving. Was he serious? If he was I was definitely interested but equally suspicious. What had Cas taught me... never trust the angels, they always had a hidden agenda. Uriel decided to go on.

"We need Dean Winchester to stop the seals from being broken. He is the only one who can. We also have been informed that Lilith marks you and although it will not affect Dean - seeing as we can protect him – we'd prefer him not to be distracted by Lilith finding and threatening his siblings." He explained. "We need him to be focused on heaven's tasks rather than on protecting you, which is why we are offering you protection."

"Hold on just a second." I let go of my gun and sat on the bed. This was a lot to take in and my head wasn't feeling so great to begin. The angels were willing to protect me?

"So you guys will protect me from Lilith only because you don't want me taking up Dean's time?" I scoffed. They never did anything out of the kindness of their hearts, did they?

"Yes, if Dean were to find out you were marked, his attention would be completely on you." Uriel relayed to me.

"And won't Dean be distracted from his work when I run away? Do you really think Dean won't come looking for me?" I asked him. If that's what he thought, then Uriel didn't know Dean.

"We understand he will, however it is more desirable than him taking up arms against Lilith. She isn't our main concern at the moment but Dean will make her be if he finds out you are in danger. This way, Dean will rule your absence as emotional turmoil, search for you regardless but still work on stopping the apocalypse." Uriel explained.

They were playing Dean. The apocalypse would come second if he found out Lilith was out to get Sam and I. The angels knew that. However if I ran away, Dean would know it wasn't because I was forced too, that I was somewhat safe and he'd feel he still had an obligation to stopping the apocalypse.

"If I stay… would you protect me from Lilith?" I asked taking a chance. Uriel nodded.

"We would, but we don't want that kind of commotion around Dean at the moment." He replied.

"Nothing you've told me has made me feel any better." I mumbled. They wanted to move me away from Dean so I didn't distract him with my problems. Way to feel like a burden.

"Do we have an agreement?" he asked. This deal was much better than Ruby's. I was working with the angels rather than the demons and I wouldn't have to die. What was there to think about?

"Yeah, it's a deal. I don't have to kiss you do I?" I winced. Uriel didn't pay attention to my joke; instead he reached towards my pocket and pulled out my bracelet which was supposed to shield me from the angels. He shut his eyes and muttered something under his breath. The bracelet glowed and then shone a bright white light almost blinding me. When it was over, the bracelet was placed back in my hand.

"That should help protect you against Lilith and you needn't worry about the angels stopping you. Orders from heaven have spread that Alexis Winchester is off limits to all. I am glad you agreed to our terms Alexis. It says a lot about your maturity." He told me.

"I would have agreed to protect my brothers under any circumstance. What I don't understand is if I'm such a big problem to you guys, then why don't you just kill me?" I asked.

"We are angels Alexis… forces of good. Killing you won't do us any good. Dean would refuse to help us and so your death was simply not an option. Castiel did not like the idea of separating you from your brothers and he would have certainly told Dean you were marked, which is why we had to remove him. We could not risk him telling Dean that we would be taking you away which is why we had to act in such haste after you told him. He would have alerted Dean and we couldn't allow that." He told me.

Castiel.

"Is Castiel safe?" I asked, hoping he wasn't in real trouble.

"He's not dead but there are things he must pay for." My stomach twisted and I felt sick.

"Are there any more questions Alexis?" Uriel asked. For this brief conversation, I actually liked him.

"No, but I'm guessing you want me to leave as soon as possible?" I looked up at him.

"Yes, that would be ideal." he nodded.

"I'm not sure I can leave him. I need him Uriel. I know you can be a pain in the ass but you're also an angel of the lord. You must understand the pain of leaving family?" I prompted.

"I know better than you do what that pain feels like but we all need to grow up and move on. Your brother does not need you; he has his own life which doesn't include you. He just doesn't have the heart to tell you. How could he leave his little sister, who he has sworn to protect? You must act first. You need to understand that you can live without him. It'll be easier to leave once you accept that." He informed me. He glanced away and then back at me. "I must go as your brothers are on their way back. Nobody must know we had this conversation." He held my gaze and then he was gone.

His words were still stinging me, "_Your brother does not need you; he has his own life which doesn't include you. He just doesn't have the heart to tell you."_

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Isn't Uriel a fun cookie? Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember that reviewing only takes half a minute but makes me insanely happy. Send some love in the form of reviews, I'd love to know what you think! The next chapter will be up soon xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	5. Chapter 5 - A Fast Escape

**Author's Note:**

Fifth chapter guys! Hope you enjoy :) Remember to review the chapter and let me know what you liked and didn't like.

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 5.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 5 – A Fast Escape**

I did end up unpacking Sam and Dean's clothes, not that it would do much if they were out to find me. I took out all our dirty laundry and repacked my bag with all my essentials, weapons and fresh clothes which I kept at Bobby's. I ran down in time to put a load in just as the boys got home. They didn't smell so great.

"Ehh, why don't you all take a shower and I'll wash another load. I'm also going to order some pizza." I told them as I leaned away from them. My face was still scrunched up as the boys walked past me wordlessly upstairs. I had hidden my bags under my bed along with some snacks and cash so they wouldn't suspect a thing. The doorbell rang half an hour later and I went to get the food… except the delivery boy was not what I expected.

"Ruby."

"Hey sister Winchester. Heard you wanted some grub." She smiled her snarky smile and held out the pizza.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I growled. Oh I was mad. Firstly; she kept popping up in places where I didn't think she belonged, secondly; she introduced me to shitter of plan which resulted in my death and thirdly, she was Ruby.

"Are you ever going to greet me differently?" she asked still holding the pizza.

"Probably not, so I'll ask again because I'm feeling nice, what are you doing here?" I asked quietly so Dean wouldn't hear. He was going to lose his mind if he saw Ruby at Bobby's doorstep.

"I came to see what you had decided." She told me a little too loudly.

"Don't you think you could have seen me at a more private time?" I whispered harshly.

"Why are you whispering?" she ducked her head mocking me.

"Because if Dean finds out you're here, he's going to blow your ass down under. This is exactly why you should have come another time." I explained to her, annoyed that she wasn't following along quicker.

"Hey, Dean will have to deal with me, I'm counting on Sam to stick up for me, but I need to know what your plans are." She pointedly stared at me. Here was the thing, no matter how nice she was, no matter how many nice things she did, I followed Dean's 'it's still an evil demon' motto. So even though she was helping me out, one, I didn't like the fact that she thought Sam would side with her rather than us and two, I wasn't comfortable telling her the details of my new and improved plan.

"Look, the answer is yes. I'm doing things your way, the first chance I get, I'm out of here." Her face brightened and I had never been stupid enough to think it was because of her love for Sam.

"That's all I needed to know." She whispered back. Good, I thought to myself and grabbed the pizzas off her.

"Now go, before Dean-"

"Alexis, tell me there's a good reason you're not pointing your gun at that bitch." I stared past Ruby with my eyebrows knitted together refusing to turn around and face my brother. Why? Why God? I was so close...

"She says she's got information for us."

* * *

Ruby never actually got to enter the house, not after Dean shot her with a rock salt bullet. That was the reason for the fight which lasted long enough for me to eat three slices of pizza and I was a slow eater.

"Dean, you don't have to trust her, just trust me!" Sam threw his hands up in the air.

"No Sam, we don't trust demons period. They are evil, they have manipulative plans which result in one of us getting hurt and I say we ditch the smartass bitch." He paused to look at Sam's annoyed expression. "Hey, I understand that you may have some sort of 'feelings' for her after you started drinking her blood," he glanced quickly at me but continued, "and that doesn't mean we have to kill her Sam. If you trust her enough to let her free then fine, but I am not letting her get close to us. I do not trust her and you should trust me on that." He stated clearly.

"Dean, give her a chance, you don't understand that she's changed." Sam reasoned. I didn't buy it for a second.

"And why would she have changed Sam? She's a demon for god's sake! She survives off misery. How can you think she doesn't have an ulterior motive?" Dean questioned Sam.

"How can you think I'm stupid enough not to know when a demon's lying?" Sam shot back.

"Because Sam, I have always known what's good for this family. I'll tell you how... it starts with sticking around long enough to know what the family values are!" Dean yelled.

Whoa... time to intervene. Sam and Dean had begun moving closer to each other and were about three feet apart.

"Look-" I started, but of course was cut off.

"Dean, I grew up and went to live my life independently so I could start my own family because ours was so fucking SCREWED UP! If anyone here doesn't understand the value of family it's you. You were such a good little solider for Dad, where did that leave you Dean! He's DEAD! What did you learn from Dad apart from how to hunt?" Sam yelled. Dean was clenching his jaw.

"Okay guys-" Dean cut me off but I stood in between them with my arms out just touching their chests, well in Sam's case, his upper abdomen.

"Dad did what he had to for our safety and protection. If you had stuck around, you would know that. If you had shown a tiny piece of loyalty to our family rather than that bitch-"

"SHE IS NOT a bitch. Dean not all things supernatural are evil, you know that!" Sam screamed over me.

"Yeah, but all things demons ARE!" Dean yelled back.

"Not all Dean. I know you're my brother and I would do anything for you but you're not listening and you're being unfair. I'm taking her side." He said to Dean.

WHOA! Hold the freaking horses. I didn't even look towards Dean, knowing his face would mirror mine. It was an expression of shock and betrayal.

"What did you say?" those words came from my mouth.

"She deserves a chance, you should give it to her." He said eyes still on Dean. Apparently I didn't exist anymore, well that was about to change.

"She DESERVES nothing and we should GIVE HER nothing SAM!" I turned my body so I was facing Sam and in front of Dean. "Not because she's a demon, not because she gave you her blood, you see I can look past all that Sam. It's because Castiel told us that Ruby was not trustworthy. It's because he rebelled for us and sacrificed everything so that we could live and if he tells us something, we listen. Castiel DESERVES that and we OWE him that because right now he's stuck in God knows where, paying for our mistakes so don't you dare make another one Sam, because he's the one who gets hurt." I had faced Sam squarely and he was glaring down at me.

"Dean's right, we shouldn't trust her." I said again. He exhaled in anger.

"Really... then why have you been trusting her?" he asked me. Holy fuck. What did he know?

"What are you talking about?" I asked him not daring to turn around and look Dean in the eye.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Alexis. She told me that she's been meeting up with you and I can only think one reason for you doing that, to figure out how to deal with Lilith. When were you planning on telling us?" Sam asked me looking a tiny bit happier that he had a solid point. Oh thank Castiel, he didn't know. I looked into Sam's eyes and I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was concerned for my safety and dropping this bomb while Dean was in the room allowed me no time to beg Sam to shut up. He was also proving a point to Dean, that if they didn't work with Ruby, I was going to get hurt by doing it behind their backs.

He was trying to turn me against Dean. That never turned out well. It would absolutely crush Dean if he knew I'd been lying to him and hurting him was the LAST thing I wanted to do, considering that I was planning on leaving.

A hand touched my shoulder and I shut my eyes in defeat. He turned me around to face him and waited for my eyes to open but the fact that they were closed pretty much gave me away. He was standing close enough for me to hear his breathing, one hand on my shoulder, one hand on my chin. His face wasn't pained; he wouldn't believe Sam until the words left my mouth.

"Is he telling the truth?" he asked me. The words hit me hard. He stared straight into me and I felt like he could see my soul. So much trust and I was about to betray it in so many ways. I couldn't deny it, Sam wasn't crazy and I wasn't going to tell him the real reason for seeing her so I did the only thing I could.

"Yes."

Dean's face dropped. His eyes filled with unspeakable pain in an instance and his hands dropped off me, like he couldn't stand touching me. His eyes kept searching for a lie in my face but he would find none. I was actually telling the truth. He turned away from me and my heart broke. That movement kicked me into action.

"Dean-" I reached towards him but Sam held me back.

"Leave him alone. You have a lot to answer for." He started pulling me away. Later I understood Sam's reasoning. This was out of character for him but with his need to kill the demon who kept threatening his family, his actions were justified. He was going to do anything to destroy Lilith, even if it meant Dean getting mad at me.

But I had to defend myself otherwise I looked like a spoilt little girl who was doing stupid things out in the big bad world. I had my reasons and Dean had to know I wasn't a child. Sam couldn't take me out of there without me explaining my actions.

"NO!" I screamed and weaved out of Sam's grip. "LET ME GO!" he stood there looking pretty shocked.

"Lex, don't you think you should give us some time alone?" he asked, completely taken off guard. I didn't respond, instead I just kept glaring.

"Fine." He turned around to leave and no matter how mad I was at him, I couldn't let him leave. Apparently neither could Dean.

"Where are you going?" he asked his back still to us.

"Down to the morgue, and then to Jeremiah's to pick up some weapons with Bobby." He replied. Sam suddenly seemed much calmer than before. He seemed like himself again. "Call me when you're both ready to talk." He left without another word, leaving me and Dean alone.

"Dean, I'm sorry..." I touched him on the back but he shrugged me off.

"Don't. Don't give me a fucking apology now." He turned around and was in my face.

"Honesty. It was the ONE thing I asked of you. For you to be honest with me. Because you were all I had and you couldn't even do that? I told you…" he scoffed in disbelief, "I TOLD YOU, that I would do anything and everything for you; that I would take care of you, protect you and listen to everything you had to say no matter how crazy it sounded, as long as you told me the truth." His eyes were wet and he was clenching his jaw. My own eyes got teary.

"Dean, I meant it." I couldn't stand to hurt him, but this was a fraction of how hurt he would be when I left.

"No, no you didn't. You could have told me anytime. Last week, two days ago, even this afternoon, right after I told you not to hide things from me, but no, I had to hear it from Sam, in the middle of this." He put his hands out at our situation. "I could have dealt with him seeing her. I could have dealt with him drinking her blood again; I could have even dealt with him killing a bunch of yahoos because she told him to, but not you, of everyone in my life, not you. I expected so much better from you." He gave me such a degrading look, it hurt.

"Dean, please let me explain." That was it. I was going to tell him. I didn't care anymore. I couldn't bear to let him down, for him to look at me like that.

"Explain it to me in the morning. I don't even want to look at you right now." He said quietly. That alone stopped me. I forgot what I was going to say. I couldn't believe Dean said that to me. I was his sister. I was his baby sister. He could never mean that! He walked past me, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked following his movements. Tears were dripping down my cheeks and my voice sounded so frightened, even to me. As soon as I had spoken Dean had gone tense. He heard the pain in my voice as well but he didn't turn around.

"To the bar." He said in a gruff voice as if he had something in his throat and then he left. He slammed the door before I got to it, not even bothering to tell me to salt the windows and the doors. He had always reminded me to do that. He was hurting and it was all my fault. The sound of the Impala screeching out of the driveway and speeding away was the last thing I heard before I broke down.

* * *

I must have spent about ten minutes crying out all my frustrations before I realised this was the opportune moment to leave. The tears never stopped as I ran upstairs to get my bags. I was packed and ready to go. I had all my weapons, charms, money and food for my journey. All I needed was to set up the crime scene. I wet one of Sam's jackets in patches and flung it in the corner. I threw around some of the books on Sam's desk and then pushed his swiveling chair into the kitchen next to the pantry. I ripped open a bag of chips and flushed half the packet down the toilet. The rest I left scattered on the couch with the large plush blanket which belonged to me.

Bobby was always stocked with food and drinks so it didn't hurt me too much when I poured a 2L coke empty into the toilet. I left the bottle on the floor next to the bin. I then took out another bottle but only poured out a third of it in the toilet and filled half a glass with it, leaving both the bottle and the glass on Bobby's living room table. I took a sip making sure to leave the mark of my lips. Next I pulled out a bottle of beer which I placed next to the bottle of coke but did not open.

I opened Bobby's TV cabinet and pulled out all the DVD's before I found Titanic. I put it in the DVD player and skipped to the scene where Rose is about to leave Jack on the ship. I paused the movie there and then turned off the TV.

Then I ran up to my room and messed up my bed, and flung my clothes all over the floor. I picked up a pair of shorts and flung it on the stairs along with a random sock. The salt came next. I did a quick job which was both efficient but messy. One of the last things left was the letter. I ripped out a page from the notepad and wrote in a heavy black marker.

_Needed some space. On my way to Pastor Jim's. I'll call you mid-day. Don't wait up and don't worry. Sorry about the mess, just had to leave. xx Lex_

I stuck it on the fridge and picked up my key from the bowl. I turned off all the lights, locked all the windows and doors except the front one. I stood in the doorway with my bags, a girl on the run, and watched the scene unfold before my eyes.

* * *

_Dean would call Sam and ask him when he was coming home. Sam would then meet Dean at the bar so they could discuss what they would do about me before they saw me. Sam would have told Bobby to stay at Jeremiah's for the night so we could have a family talk. They would arrive at the house, still mad at each other but madder at me. The lights are off, I must be in bed._

_Sam enters first and sees the mess. Panic as he analyses signs of struggle. He calls in Dean. First thing Dean does is go upstairs to see if I'm asleep. I'm not and my bed's a mess. He notices a missing bag and the aftermath of quick packing. At the same time Sam notices the food on the table and the events click into place. Together they piece the puzzle. _

_Alexis was crying; Dean knew that. She grabbed the closest thing she could cry into, Sam's jacket. It was wet. After she was done crying on the floor, she flung the jacket away in anger and went to Sam's desk. She threw around his books and released her anger on a few things in the living room until she finally collapsed into Sam's chair in exhaustion. She swiveled into the kitchen, picked up a bag of chips and two bottles of coke. She leaves them on the table in the living room and was going to drink straight from the bottle but then decided to spike her drink. She goes back to get a glass and a beer. _

_She searches for her favourite comfort movie, Titanic and throws all other movies out of her way. She puts it in and sits on the couch with her blanket. She decided against the alcohol because she's already in enough trouble and starts her way through the chips. She finishes one bottle and then throws it at the bin... and misses. She starts on the second. She gets to the part in Titanic when Rose and Jack are separated and she reaches her emotional pinnacle. She can't stand to be here alone so she pauses the movie and runs upstairs leaving a mess behind. She hastily packs her bag and makes a mess in her room as well._

_She's getting changed as she runs down the stairs. She doesn't want to be here when the boys get back, it's almost morning. She turns off the TV, locks and salts all the windows and doors, writes a note and leaves. She catches a bus to Pastor Jim's, who is six hours away._

_First thing they do is call her, but her phone is off. Dean activates her GPS but she's left her phone upstairs. They call Pastor Jim's wife Lindy, and tell her that Lex is on her way and that when she gets there, she should keep her there. Lex would have spent two hours upset, two hours watching the movie and half an hour getting ready to leave. The next bus to leave to Pastor's Jim's would arrive 30 minutes after she left so she would have had to wait that long. All up, siz hours which leaves the time at 6:00am in the morning when it is still dark out. _

_Sam and Dean arrive home at 6:30, they've just missed her and can't contact her for another six hours at least, considering there are no stops and she goes straight to Jim's house. They begin driving as soon as possible and arrive at Jim's at 1:00pm and wait for Lex. She doesn't show. _

_In reality, Lex has been travelling for eleven hours in the opposite direction._

* * *

I had decided a while back that I wasn't going to take any of Bobby's cars so instead I made my way to the bus station on foot. It would take about fifteen minutes if I was fast but my plans dragged out when I saw the Impala parked in front of the bar which I had to pass on the way to the station. The smart thing to do was to bypass it completely but something tugged in my heart. I snuck around the back, knowing full well that this could explode in my face.

The back door was open so I entered and made my way down the hall and to the door which led to the bar. The door had a window next to it and I peeped through, making sure to keep myself hidden.

It wasn't hard to find him. He was sitting at a table alone with five beers in front of him and a group of slutty girls eyeing him from the pool table. His eyes were red-rimmed, not crying but holding the tears in like he always did. He kept staring at the bottle he was playing with and finally put it down, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. He never looked my way.

"I love you Dean." I whispered. I looked away quickly so the temptation of dropping my bags and running in there to him disappeared. Things could still change. I had the chance right now to go in there and tell him everything. He would fix everything for me... everything...

...and destroy himself in the process.

I ran out the door and then sprinted away from the bar, never looking back, tears streaming down my face.

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

The next few chapters won't have a lot of Sam and Dean in it, for the obvious reasons. I don't plan on changing POV's this early in the story, I might later down the track. Don't worry though, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I plan to exploit that when it comes to Alexis and her brothers. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember that reviewing only takes half a minute but makes me insanely happy. Send some love in the form of reviews, I'd love to know what you think! The next chapter will be up soon xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	6. Chapter 6 - Double Crossed

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, this chapter introduces more characters whom you'll love so enjoy! Also, I am not an American citizen nor have I ever lived anywhere in the U.S. so when it comes to places in my story, they are entirely based off Google Maps. Please excuse any mistake made regarding travelling but feel free to review.

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 6.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 6 – Double Crossed**

I had a plan. I was going to Peaceful Valley, WA, which was almost on the USA and Canada border. It was a small town with lots of mountains and tall trees surrounding it. I had thought about living it up in highly populated areas, such as California, Vegas or L.A. but then thought against it as that was what Dean would be expecting. He wouldn't think I was stupid enough to live in a town as small as this.

The bus ride went by quickly, it was only two hours. After that, I caught a cab to a train station half an hour away. Every half an hour, I would glance at the time on my phone, thinking about what Sam or Dean would be doing. The train ride would take three hours so I made myself comfortable and listened to my iPod. It was 3:00am which meant Sam and Dean were still oblivious to my plan.

The train ride would finish at 6:00am, close to the time they got home. From 6am to 9am, I was catching a bus, from 9am to 11am I was catching a cab, from 11am to 1 pm I would be catching another bus, (Sam and Dean should have arrived at Pastor Jim's by that point), from 1pm to 2pm I was catching a cab again, from 2pm to 5 pm I was catching a train and from there I had to make other plans. By that point, Sam and Dean would be halfway back to South Dakota and I would be in the town of Coeur d'Alene.

I knew Sam and Dean would eventually check the bus station which is why I had snuck around the back out of the camera's view and told the guy at the desk, with a flirtatious smile, I was running from my abusive boyfriend. I had told him the same story I was going to feed everybody else. If someone comes looking for me, tell them I'm going south and if they cause a scene, tell them that you were paid to lie and in reality I bought a ticked heading north east.

He complied easily but I couldn't rely completely on him which is why I had so many changeovers. I also had booked rooms in motels all over the country for one or two nights using my favourite aliases.

Content with my plan for the time being, I laid back against the seat only two seconds before Uriel appeared before me. I jumped up in shock.

"Seriously, I haven't even fully run away yet. What are you doing here?" I hissed. He smiled at me.

"I am an angel of the lord Alexis." His eyes gazed over the train seats.

"Alright look, I get that you're all happy that I'm leaving and Dean isn't distracted, blah blah blah, but I still remember that you guys don't give a shit about me and won't give me a second glance if I turned up dead so honestly, I really don't want to see you very often." I pointed out keeping my distance from him.

"I'll be checking in with you every few days Alexis, you cannot avoid me. But that is not the reason that I am here. I understand you have a complicated way of reaching your destination. I'll tell you again, I am an angel of the lord." He smirked at me, waiting for something.

Then it clicked.

"You can zap me there?" I half asked-half stated. Why didn't I think of that?

"I've already compelled those who have helped you to forget they ever saw you. I can take you to your new house right now." He told me. I suddenly felt like Sam and Dean were catching up even though right now they didn't even know I was gone.

"Can you compel the town to think I've been living there for a few years?" I asked. He smiled, probably at my quick thinking and slowly nodded. I held my hand out and he took it. Next thing I knew, I was standing inside a large cottage with my bags next to me. God bless the angels.

* * *

Uriel was nicer than I gave him credit for. He had stocked my new house so if I had wanted, I didn't have to leave. The first thing I did was put up the protection. There was something comforting about laying down the salt and covering my new house in demon repelling symbols. I double checked all the doors and windows before grabbing my bags and hauling them upstairs. I started unpacking but decided to stop when I came across Sam's Stanford hoodie, which I had loved so much that Sam had just given it to me.

I stuffed it back in the bag, shut my curtains so my room was dark and decided to get some shut-eye. The longer I stayed awake, the more I would think about what Sam and Dean were doing at that moment. I knew I needed the sleep and so I slept from 4am trying my hardest to forget Dean. I was stupid for thinking I could.

I dreamt of Sam and Dean finding me in the cottage, this much I expected, however I did not expect the absolute fear I felt when Dean walked through the door. The shock and horror alone was able to wake me from my sleep, both panting and sweating. I really couldn't believe that I was scared of all things.

I sat in my bed for a while with the lights still off, pondering the possibilities. Was I terrified that the moment they found me they would be vulnerable again? Or was I scared of Dean's reaction to me running away? I knew Sam was the mediator when it came to my safety so naturally Dean was who I should have been worried about.

All this time I hadn't even begun to think about afterwards because I hadn't completely believed this plan would work, I was after all winging it. If we did survive through all this, what would Dean do? Would he ever trust me again? Would he still love me?

Okay, I knew I was being stupid. Of course he would, he was my brother.

A thought came to me. I didn't have to look at the time to know that my brothers would be getting worried by now so I reached for the phone and dialed a number which I had long since memorized. It rang twice.

"Hello Alexis."

"Hi Missouri." I replied feeling comfort in hearing a familiar voice.

"I have been expecting your call and let me tell you now child, I am not happy." She scolded. I wasn't surprised.

"Missouri, you must know what's going on. You have to understand my reasoning." I told her helplessly. She knew I had to leave for Dean's sake. If Sam and I died… Dean would have nothing to live for.

"I do, but like your brothers, I do not like it when you are away from them." She informed me. Was it that easy to tell that the Winchester's were uncomfortable when separated or was it just Missouri.

"I know Missouri, but this had to be done. I can't let Lilith kill Sam and I can't let the angels hold anything over Dean." I explained.

"You are brave Alexis, running from the only people you feel safe around just to protect them." Missourie commended me.

"It's because of how much I love them that I am doing this. You know that. But I called for something else. If they contact you-" I started.

"I know what you are asking and I'm asking you to reconsider. Don't make me lie to them." She cut me off. I couldn't have them find me.

"Missouri, I'm calling you out of courtesy. I will not jeopardize their lives. If you disagree, the angels will take care of it." I stated. Wow, rudeness alert.

"Wow indeed. You are more serious about this than I had predicted. When they call Alexis, because they will, you have my word that I will not help them find you. This is not out of fear child, it is out of respect for you. Know that. No angel can shut this psychic up." She claimed proudly. I was still stunned that she could read my mind over the phone but I took her word.

"Thank-you Missouri. I appreciate it, I really do."

"I know you do honey. Now, there is something else troubling you. I can help you with your nightmare." She told me quickly before I hung up. She was good. I was contemplating on whether or not I was going to tell her and suddenly the words just spilled out of my mouth.

"Why am I scared of Dean?" I asked, genuinely confused. There was silence on the other end for a good minute and it killed me not to interrupt but I had to assume she was working her mojo.

"It is something I have noticed before when I see the two of you. Alexis, you and Dean are not only brother and sister; you both fit into the roles of protector and protected. Your souls feed off one another and it is what makes your bond so unique. Families also fit into these roles but their environment hardly pushes them to express the traits of these roles, however you and Dean have been exposed to life of hurt and despair where he is forced to realise you are what is most precious to him and you constantly run to him for safety.

How do either of you live life without each other, it is something foreign to the both of you. You are not scared of him finding you, you are feeling how overwhelmed you will be when he does and you are mistaking this emotion for fear. The only thing you fear is that the image you are dreaming up is an illusion and will not be what you expect. You acknowledge your need for your older brother but you are not sure he feels the same need to find you."

Well, she was right about that. Uriel's words were still in the back of my mind. Was I weighing Dean down? Did he really need or even want me in his life? She didn't leave me much more time to ponder.

"There is a story Alexis, of a young man who had a large family and many friends. They complimented him and he felt loved. Slowly their affection for him was less visible and feeling dejected he went to create a scene. He went to the tallest cliff and acted as if he was going to jump, knowing this way he would once again receive the attention he wanted from his loved ones.

The twist in the story is that not one of his family members or his friends came to the cliff. The man could not believe his eyes and so realised that he truly did not have anyone in the world, so he jumped off the cliff, anyway."

Well that was a nice bedtime story.

"Though you are on a mission to save your brothers, you are also treating this as a test to whether or not Dean will go through all the trouble to save you. I'm not sure why you think Dean doesn't love you with all his heart, that is for another day, but I warn you, with you sitting in that house alone, you can set some pretty high standards and your imagination may get the best of you, but do not jump off the cliff if Dean isn't there in the time, shape and form you want him to be.

Dean is also a part of your reasoning and reassurance so don't go doing something stupid because he isn't there to reassure you that both your brothers love you and that in the end, everything will be alright. The difference between the story and your life is that both your brothers would be on that cliff beside you, ready to jump with you, but your evasion is what separates you physically. Do not mistake that as their lack of support." She finished.

I thought I understood most of what she was saying so I quickly muttered my thanks and hung up.

Was I testing Dean to see whether or not he loved me? I didn't know, but I understood her message. Dean wasn't here due to my amazing fleeing skills, hence there was no reason to think he was ditching me. I was sure that he was working on finding me and even though I had no proof of that, I had to believe it. Otherwise if I thought Dean had left me for dead, I knew that without thinking, I would call down Uriel and let him push me off the damn cliff.

* * *

I wanted to stop thinking about my disturbing nightmare, and I didn't want to even begin thinking about what Sam and Dean were doing now. I was really stupid to think they'd leave my mind that easily. Images of them yelling my name, driving furiously, searching in the forests, celebrating, laughing, calling everyone they knew... flashed through my mind and soon I wanted to know what was going on.

I opened the curtains in the house and unpacked. Uriel had done something unusual... he had filled my wardrobe with decent clothes. And by decent I mean business-like decent. There were no jeans, comfy tops and track suits of any kind. Worst of all... no hoodies. I couldn't believe he wanted me to wear tight tops and skirts everywhere... that would not help me blend in.

"Actually it would. Peaceful Valley is a small town but the big houses are taken up by businessmen, not that they spend much time here but every few years they make a pit stop. This would be yours." Of course Uriel had to invade my privacy.

"Firstly, I would appreciate it if you knocked and secondly, I'm a bit young to be a businesswoman don't you think? I asked him sarcastically.

"Age comes with how you present yourself and act." He nodded once and I turned towards the mirror. I looked myself, but I looked mature, late twenties mature.

"What did you do?" I asked a little dazed as I touched my face.

"Make-up, nothing supernatural at all, it is a cosmetic quirk I picked up in the 1800's when sixteen year olds wanted to be married as soon as possible." He informed me.

"Right," I sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Uriel, "how are they?"

They must have figured it out by now that I'm not at Pastor Jim's and that this whole thing was a hoax. Uriel smiled at me.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked. My heart rate fled. Dean was going to kill me himself when he found me.

"Do I want to know?" I asked meekly. Uriel knitted his brows together in concentration for a moment.

"They're just about ready to raise hell." He told me. I suddenly got very scared and took a deep breath to stabilize myself. It was the exact feeling I was talking to Missouri about. Missouri!

"Uriel-" he cut me off.

"Yes, I have taken care of her, she won't be a liability." I frowned at him. How many conversations was he listening in to?

"What do you mean you took care of her?" I asked cautiously.

"She is not harmed if that is what you are implying." He assured me.

"And why are you listening in on all my conversations and thoughts? It's very irritating." I looked up at him.

"It is the price you must pay to keep you brothers safe, I must know everything." He replied walking to the window.

"What, me being away from them wasn't enough, now I can't even think in peace." I asked putting my feet up on the bed.

"I hardly see why this is a point to stress over, it is not like you have anything to hide now, do you?" he looked over to me as if I had something to confess.

"What? Of course not! As much as I hate it, I'm at your mercy at the moment." I grumbled. Uriel just smiled. I played with the bracelet on my hand and thought about Ruby. She wouldn't be able to find me would she?

"Now Alexis, we're smarter than that." Uriel smiled from where he was standing. This mind reading this… I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing at the moment. Too soon to tell.

"What about Cas?" I asked out loud.

"Castiel will remain with Zachariah until Lilith has been destroyed. It is the only way we can ensure he won't run and tell your brothers where you are." Uriel explained once again. Well, if Uriel was the on-duty angel, what was he going to tell Sam and Dean?

"And what about you? When they ask you where I am, what are you going to say then?" I asked.

"Simply that you are in possession of a bracelet which shields you from us. They will then blame Ruby for giving you the bracelet, Sam and Dean kill Ruby and we're one step closer to winning." He laid out his plan.

"So you're really using this to your advantage?" I muttered from the bed.

"Yes we are." That very familiar voice came from the other side of the room. Bitch.

I pointed my gun at her face and backed towards Uriel. Ruby stood in the doorway of my cottage, smirking at my discomfort.

"What happened to 'we're smarter than that'?" I threw at him. There was no response, mostly because he wasn't there anymore. Now I was freaking out a little.

"What did you do and why the hell are you here?" I took a second gun out from my waist band and pointed them both at her as she stepped closer.

"Now, now sister Winchester, we're past all this aren't we. We're practically family seeing as your brother and I are-"

"Shut up!" I yelled, "and stop right there Ruby or I swear to Castiel I will empty these guns into that ugly ass head of yours." I threatened. She stopped but started laughing.

"How's that working out for you by the way? No angel Castiel to save you, you left your brothers on the other side of this country and now you're here, alone with me." She laid out the horrible facts before me. So she knew Cas was gone but how did she find me?

"Alright then, what do you want?" I asked her. Her head jerked up.

"I want you and your dickhead brother dead." She said through gritted teeth. I was very shocked. I had actually begun to believe her, even though I hated her guts, I had believed she was genuinely on our side. I should have known better.

"The price I would pay to see Dean's head on a silver platter!" she yelled to the ceiling. Now she was pissing me off.

"Really, so all the crap you said to me earlier about saving Sam! What did you want from me?" I yelled in frustration. She moved closer to me.

"I wanted you alone and I paid the price. I befriended an angel and right now he's holding up his end of the deal." She revealed. Holy shit, it's a trap. It must have been evident on my face because she started laughing like she'd already won.

"How is this going to help you? You kill me, Dean tells the angels to bring me back or he doesn't do their dirty work. I live no matter what you do." I was winging it, I had no idea whether or not the angels would bring me back, but I was still confused with her motive. She took another step towards me so I shot her in the arm, which in turn made her very pissed. The guns went flying out of my hand and she choked me up against the wall.

"How about Lilith kills you; and the angels don't give a shit whether you live or die. Then Sam and Dean come looking for your pretty face?" She replied seeing right through my lie. I guess everyone knew I was expendable. My legs couldn't touch the floor but I managed to ask,

"Why do you want them here?" She dropped me to the floor and stepped aside.

There stood Lilith with a dagger in her hand. "That is for us to know and you to find out."

Are you fucking kidding me?

This had escalated very quickly. Uriel, the lying bastard had double-crossed me, Ruby appeared from God knows where and I had no idea how she got in. She wanted me dead here and now...and to top it all off, now Lilith was two feet away from me, about to kill me. How could I have been so stupid?

Well, I wasn't a Winchester for no reason. I pulled out my flask of holy water and threw it on her feet. She stumbled backwards in pain and Ruby went down with her. I jumped across the floor and grabbed the two guns. I started shooting at them as I made my way to the door. They both seemed caught off guard and so as they were gaining their balance I turned and ran for the stairs. My heart was racing in my chest. This was the first time in my life I had faced Lilith alone, and even worse, with Uriel and Ruby supporting her. I had never wanted Sam and Dean by my side more. I jumped the stairs two at a time and rushed to the front door but was thrown back into the kitchen. I landed on the table, my back aching in pain.

I realised how this could end for me. Those two could kill me right now, dispose of my body and my brothers would never know what happened. The last thing we did was fight... I didn't want to die without them knowing the truth. I struggled to get up but Lilith grabbed my head and slammed it back on the table. The world spun and I drifted in and out of consciousness. I felt Ruby's hand around my neck.

"Alexis, we're going to capture this moment so your brothers can see how Lilith ended your pathetic little life. Add your own audio." Ruby spoke into my ear. My eyes flickered open to see the two of them standing over me, Ruby with a camera in hand. These sadistic whores were crazy and they really wanted Sam and Dean to find them; I had no idea why.

"You can take that camera and shove it where the sun don't shine you psychopathic bitches!" I spat at them. Lilith put her hand over my heart and then made a fist.

The pain was unbelievable.

She was pulling at my heart and all I could do was scream. I was crying and screaming, with Lilith only giving me a few seconds between each pull to catch my breath before it started again. She kept going for what seemed like forever.

"Dean, I really do hope you're enjoying the show. It's not every day you see your sister like this. I'm sure it feels good to see someone dish out the punishment she deserves for everything she's put you through." Lilith turned to me. "You need to pay for every time you've screwed with my work. I hope this hurts." And then she scratched the air above my body.

She was supernaturally shredding me to bits. I felt the nails dig into my neck and I felt her drag them down my body. I felt the warm blood rush out of the many rips and I watched her smile in pleasure as I tried to and failed in suppressing my scream. It was so painful, I couldn't stop crying and the screams were being drawn from my throat.

"That's right," Lilith sneered as she grabbed my lower lip. "Just like your brothers. You don't want to show your pain but who cares whether you scream or not Alexis? Nobody is here."

The tears were streaming down my face and body was shaking. I stopped sobbing for a moment and Lilith leaned down towards me. "Do you have something to say?" she asked.

"Rot in hell." I whispered. She smiled at me and took out a vial of what looked like blood. She removed the stopper and poured just a drop on my chest. It was acid.

I shook violently under her supernatural hold, just trying to get away from the acid which was eating its way into my skin. I couldn't help but groan in pain.

"Finally, a moment to toy with you, without the other two Winchester's interfering. It's like a dream come true." she said to me as she pulled my head up by my hair. I jerked my body around to get as far away from the acid which was still dripping into my skin but it wouldn't leave. Ruby sat on the sidelines quietly recording me while I squirmed. Lilith pasted the acid on my collarbone with her knife to pull more screams out of me.

"Come on Lexie, tell them to save you and I'll stop the torture." She smiled and squeezed my heart. I gasped and she kept going.

"Sammy." I breathed unwillingly. It gave me satisfaction to see Lilith twist her head around quickly to make sure he wasn't behind her. She turned back smiling.

"What was that you said?" she asked. I didn't reply. She clenched her fist and my insides exploded in pain. She pulled me up by my chest.

"Sammy." I sobbed

"That's better. You hear that Sammy, she's calling for you." She turned to me and bellowed, "AGAIN." I screamed as more blood poured out.

"Dean. Please." I said quietly through my cries. I couldn't stop myself from calling out, it was just that painful.

"Dean, are you listening to this? You took thirty years and she gave it up in less than an hour." Lilith giggled.

"Leave him out of this." I spat at her. She slapped me hard, harder than Cas had.

Castiel.

"Why should I leave him out of this when it's all his fault. Being Dean Winchester's sister you should be able to take at least twenty years of this before you give up. Maybe Dean should have trained you. You hear that Dean. Your sister couldn't take a fraction of what you took and she's going to die because you didn't train her… to endure." She clenched her fist one more time and this time I knew my heart was coming out.

"Castiel." I breathed. Lilith choked me.

"Don't you dare." She said into my ear. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to survive so instead I wanted them to know I didn't go in pain. It was a lie but I couldn't have them drown in their own guilt. I knew they would watch this and so I looked straight at the camera.

"I'm okay." I mouthed weakly and smiled.

With one final scream, the world went black.

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

I know... there was no Sam or Dean in the chapter but it's okay because I'm posting a lot of chapters in one day. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember that reviewing only takes half a minute but makes me insanely happy. Send some love in the form of reviews, I'd love to know what you think! The next chapter will be up soon xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	7. Chapter 7 - The Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, hope you are all enjoying the story. Please feel free to review, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 7.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 7 – The Phone Call**

My eyes opened and I had to shut them as soon as they did because of the blinding white light. Then I heard Lilith scream.

I felt a warm hand on my forehead and I willed myself to open my eyes. When my vision came into focus I saw my angel, Castiel. He looked at me in pain and brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. I whimpered at his touch.

He moved down towards me, grabbed me in a hug and gently lifted me up to a sitting position. It was so painful with the rips in my torso stretching. I cried out in pain but Cas sat me upright and then put two fingers to my forehead.

I suddenly felt much better and I looked down to see myself healed. I touched my body and my face searching for scars but there were none. I looked to Cas and he smiled weakly back at me. I had no idea how he was here, but I didn't care. I just wanted to hold him.

I leaned towards him and he moved closer to me but before we could touch, Anna appeared from nowhere and touched Castiel on the shoulder. He and I both looked at her in surprise.

"I am taking you back. She is safe now." She said to him. And then they were gone.

* * *

I still felt limp after the whole ordeal. Where was Castiel? Why couldn't he stay? What did Anna have to do in all this? I tried to wrap my head around the fact that Uriel and Ruby, both of whom were working with my brothers, were allied with Lilith and wanted to kill me. There wasn't too much to clean up but I did notice that the camera was gone. I was ashamed of the tape.

Lilith was right. Dean had suffered through thirty years of torture under Alistair and I couldn't keep my mouth shut for less than an hour. It was weak and pathetic. I never wanted Dean to see that tape. It would show him how weak I really was. It would show him I was a disappointment.

Just when I felt like I was at the bottom of the world, without my brothers, who I wanted so badly and without my shield, Cas, I saw the silver lining. Whatever Cas had done to Lilith must've wounded her. She would need time to regain some of that power. That meant I was safe for the time being.

Later that night I decided on my plan of action. In the mean time I would have to stay exactly where I was but Anna could look in on Sam and Dean for me. In the mean time I would have to stay away from Sam and Dean until Lilith was dead. I did want to tell them about Ruby and Uriel but I figured that they hadn't killed them this far for a reason, so they were in no real harm yet. I really missed Cas and wished he was here beside me. Anna appeared in the room.

"Holy shit!" I jumped up in surprise. She looked confused.

"You are scared?" It was a question.

"Uh, yeah. You don't just appear out of nowhere and expect people to be ok with it." I clutched my heart and thought back to events earlier that day.

"But you called." She stated. Now I was confused.

"Maybe you got the wrong number. I didn't call." I corrected her.

"You called for Castiel." She stated.

"No I missed Castiel and even if I did, why did you show up?" I asked her.

"I'm your on call angel while Castiel is away, and even if you think his name, I will be alerted. We don't want a repeat of this afternoon." She told me. I looked up at her and then remembered that Anna was on the run.

"How are you here?" I asked her. She looked away.

"I have been pardoned by Zachariah." She told me reluctantly. I was surprised.

"Pardoned? How?" I asked again. She sighed and walked up to me.

"I did some dirty work for him so I could join the garrison again, but I've been severely demoted and left to watch over you." I frowned at that. "I needed to get back in so I could figure out what the angels are planning. Looking after you allows me to protect a Winchester and keep an eye on heaven." She told me. I smiled disbelievingly.

"Wait, you're a double agent?" I scoffed.

"Only long enough to see why they want Dean to do their work. I know they're hiding something; I just have to figure out what it is. Before this, I was one of the angels watching Castiel… he heard your call and of course I was going to help him save you, but now that he's back, I'm going to make myself useful and protect you." She stated.

"Never trust an angel." I muttered. She came to stand next to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"You'll be alright now Lex. I won't let them get to you." She reassured me. Her eyes looked like she was genuinely here to help.

"Thanks Anna." I whispered as I put my head down on the table in exhaustion.

"Is there anything else you need?" she asked me. I looked up at her and thought hard about what I wanted. After a minute, I decided I would take the risk.

"I want to talk to Dean."

* * *

Anna informed me that my brothers were with Ash, Ellen and Jo in Tennessee therefore she'd zap me to Florida and I'd make the call. We had to be discrete, and I didn't want Dean to know it was me, I just wanted to hear his voice so Anna told me I'd have to ditch the phone after I'd made the call. Sam and Dean would trace it back to Florida but they'd have no trace of me. I also wasn't allowed to call Dean's phone so I called Jo.

"Thirty seconds, no more." Anna handed me the phone and I nodded already adopting the silent stance. I hit send and waited for it to ring. She picked it up on the third ring.

"Hello?" it was Jo, but I was quiet. I could hear people in the background.

"Sam, New York's a bust too. No Olivia Garner checked in and their contact details are a fake leading back to our warehouse phone."

"Come on Bobby, there must be a trace on something! Did you check surveillance in the area? She may have checked into the hotel next door to throw us off."

I bit the inside of my cheek when I heard Sam's concerned and frustrated voice. Then I heard shuffling of the chairs. It sounded hectic with Ash, Ellen, Bobby, Sam and a few other hunters we knew in the background chattering away, but I didn't hear Dean.

"Hello? Anybody there?" Jo asked.

"Who is it Jo?" that was Ellen.

"Must be a blank call." Jo replied. I was ready to cry. I knew she was going to hang up and I wouldn't hear Dean.

"Wait."

My world spun. That was him. My heart exploded and I felt safe just hearing his voice. Everything went quiet. The phone was handed to someone.

"Alexis."

Oh my god he knew. I tried desperately not to breathe but held the phone for a little longer so I could hear him speak.

"Baby-" I hung up without making a sound. I handed the phone to Anna and she zapped me back to the cottage. She was probably disposing of the phone in the Arctic but I didn't care. I grabbed my pillow and cried myself to sleep.

* * *

My life became very monochromatic after that. I would get up in the morning, go for a jog, eat breakfast and spend the rest of the day switching between exercise, sleep and research.

I created a web of suspects and attempted to figure out everyone's motive. Why was Uriel working with hell? Why was Ruby working with Lilith and why did they both enlist in Uriel's help. And most importantly, why did they want Sam and Dean coming after them... what trap had they planned?

Anna kept me updated on where my brothers were; they hadn't come too close yet so we didn't need to move. Anna also told me that Ruby had not contacted my brothers yet and so they did not have the tape.

For some reason Uriel was still their angel and they questioned him over and over again about where I could be. He lied to them all the same. I argued with Anna over Uriel's betrayal. According to the angels, Uriel had not confessed he was working with Ruby and it was all a scam on Ruby's part so no one was going to condemn Uriel whatsoever. I on the other hand was keeping him a safe distance away.

Throughout my research I came across some disturbing news. Thirty seals had been broken. I panicked realising that due to my absence, Sam and Dean had stopped working. I called Anna immediately but she already knew and told me the angels were working with Sam and Dean.

"There are only thirty-six seals left to be broken and ever since I left, they're being broken quicker." I complained to her.

"Only because they're down one man, that's it. There are more angels working with them and so time is split evenly between searching for you and stopping the seals from being broken." She explained to me.

I tried to suppress that painful tug at my heart and instead played with the bracelet on my hand. Anna sat in the seat next to me on the table and touched my shoulder.

"Alexis, I understand this is difficult for you. You've left your family and placed your trust in strangers, people who are completely unlike your brothers. You haven't seen them in over a month and you desperately want to keep them safe. But I have noticed this longing in your eyes, no matter how important it is for them to be away from you, you want to know how desperate they are to find you." I looked up at her and she rubbed my shoulder. Looking me in the eyes she said,

"They have set up a networking system which we angels are trying to breakdown. They have hunters out searching for you as a 24/7 job, they have people like Ash hacking into every piece of technology they come across, wherever they stay they have a hectic house of angels and hunters working together to find you. They've even enlisted in the help of demons to find you Alexis, and we are trying our hardest to break the trail." She informed me. My heart fluttered as I pictured my brothers manning the search party.

I looked at her again and she smiled at me with comfort. We had grown close over the past few weeks and I felt like I could trust her but I knew better than that. I didn't want to make the same mistake with Uriel. I took a deep breath and she waited for me.

"Can I call them again?" I just wanted to hear their voice. Anna looked torn between making me happy and keeping my cover. She looked down at her hands.

"Let me check. We have to make sure they won't be able to trace the call." She replied.

"Okay." Dean and Sam had rushed to Florida when I called last, picked up the surveillance but had never found me due to angels erasing the footage. God know what they'd do this time.

* * *

Anna came back an hour later with two of her angel buddies, Nathaniel and Micah. They had dropped by every night to check on me and the three of them discussed how I could make the call. Had this been a covert CIA operation, I would have been granted nothing but the angels understood how much my brothers meant to me and how easily I'd fuck everything up if they weren't considerate. I wouldn't call it blackmail, more so a mutual understanding.

They decided to zap me to South Africa this time and so the three of them took me. This time they dialed Sam's number and they had disabled the mouthpiece, but I was still told to stay quiet, just in case. The phone rang four times and then I heard a small click. The message was being recorded.

"Hello?" It was Sam. I couldn't hear anything in the background. I shut my eyes and pretended he was here next to me. I couldn't stop the tears from slowly making their way down my face.

"Who is this?" he asked. There was a moment of silence and then,

"Lex."

How on earth did they know? I heard some banging in the background and then the phone was snatched away from Sam.

"Alexis."

Dean.

I shut my eyes and focused on his voice. I knew my time was running out.

"Listen to me Lex, don't hang up." My heart began hurting. "Whatever it is, whatever has happened, it's okay. Everything is gonna be alright, I'll fix it, ankle-biter I promise, I'll fix it all. Just come h-" Nathaniel ended the call for me.

"I'm sorry, they almost had it." He disappeared; Anna and Micah took me to the cottage.

It was safe to say I was in shock. The past month had been surreal and I had gotten to a point where I didn't even believe I was real, or that my story was true. Hearing their voices was like stepping into another world and reminding myself of a past life.

Sam. God I missed him so much. No decision went by without first asking Sam, no problem unsolved when he was around. He took my heart and protected it from the world, and allowed me to grow up in world where there was hope. He taught me about art and love, he showed me how to have fun and most importantly he taught me to never give up. The reason I had made it to this point was because Sam had let me stray, and let me make my own mistakes. He had let me fix things on my own and given me the independence to take the step I took.

And his voice was filled with pain. I could hear the stress in every word and feel the tears. I knew he was so worried and I just wanted to be near him again. Feel his presence so I knew I was safe, and that I wasn't doing something stupid.

And Dean. The words echoed through my head.

_"Whatever it is, whatever has happened, it's okay. Everything is gonna alright, I'll fix it, ankle-biter I promise, I'll fix it all. Just come h-" _

Just come home.

He told me it was okay, that everything was going to be alright. One month later and he wasn't mad, he was worried that I was scared about something that had happened. He thought I was alone and he was trying to reassure me. I wanted to take up his offer and trust that he would fix it all for me. I needed him so much but I knew that he couldn't fix this, not until Lilith was dead. I was never going to endanger his or Sam's life like that, and let them be a sitting duck.

But I was battling with my instincts. I felt that I'd only be safe with my brothers and with Cas. I just wanted to pick up that phone and tell them I was here and that I wanted them to come and get me. Then a thought occurred to me.

"Anna?" she stopped talking to Micah and the two of them made their way over.

"Yes Alexis." She sat down while Micah stood behind me.

"If I said I wanted to go back, what would you do?" I asked. Her eyes darted to Micah and she seemed a little flustered.

"I thought that you wanted to keep your brothers safe like this." She seemed confused but wasn't answering my question.

"I know, but what if I just couldn't stand to be away from them any longer? Then what?" I turned to see Micah's face, asking both of them the question.

"Perhaps the phone call was not a good idea." Micah seemed uneasy at this scenario. I turned to Anna, waiting for a real answer. She looked at me.

"I would beg you to reconsider and spend a great deal of time convincing you to stay." That also wasn't the answer I was looking for.

"Would you take me home?" I asked her. Anna stared at me and then looked at Micah.

"Micah, why don't you go and find Nathaniel and help him out? I'll take care of her." She told him. Micah nodded once, touched my shoulder and left. He had grown very protective of me over the past month and so I expected no less.

"There's something you're not telling me." I accused her. "There's a bigger reason as to why you want me here and not there." She rubbed her temples. "That's it, if you're not going to tell me, I want out."

"No, wait." She put her hand out to stop me. I sat still. "It is very important to keep Dean safe." She started.

"I know that." I told her slowly.

"But for some reason, the angels aren't too concerned." That was a shock to me. Dean was the guy who was going to stop the apocalypse, they HAD to be concerned whether he lived or died.

"They act like he's invincible." she breathed.

"Well he's not. They can bring him back as many times as they want but that doesn't heal him on the inside. Dean is still traumatized from his trip to hell. They think that Dean will be Dean every time they pull him back up, but by the end of it, he won't be my brother anymore. He's more than a meat suit." I told her.

"I'm the only one who cares what happens to Dean. I feel like I'm holding this down on my own. I seem to be the most concerned!" I was startled by her loud voice. Then I noticed a strange look in her eye, one that not too many people have. It suddenly clicked into place.

"Anna." She looked up at me with pained eyes, "There's another reason you want to keep Dean safe, isn't there?" I asked unsure. She looked at me with slightly panicked eyes. I touched her hand.

"Anna, do you like Dean?" I asked her.

Her face said it all as she looked away. I shut my eyes in realisation.

"So you're looking after me for Dean?" Again no response, "and so you won't take me home… so he's focused on heaven rather than me." She turned towards me and strained herself in saying,

"He needs to be safe. He needs to be alive and himself." She said to herself and me. This was more than just a crush. I could tell by her demeanor that whatever she felt for him was intense. But how?

"Anna, when did this happen?" I asked, confused. For the love of me I couldn't remember when she and Dean had spent more than five minutes alone.

"My last night of being human, I thanked him for saving me and told him I knew what had happened in hell. We spent the night." She shut her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Oh lord. Well done Dean, you did the holiest of things... you screwed an angel. But I was better than that. This was emotional stuff, and I wasn't sure how to respond. What would Sammy do?

"You knew, and you helped him." I told her. She looked up at me.

"No, all I said was that there were people ready to listen when he was ready to talk."

"That's help enough Anna." I smiled at her and a look of relief washed over her face. Oh! She was scared I'd be mad. Why would I be mad if Dean did the dirty with Anna? Oh right, because I get mad when girls toy with Dean, like Cassie. But girls hardly hurt Dean; he usually ends up breaking their hearts. Anna would hardly hurt Dean.

"Yes, I was worried about how you'd react. And no, this is the only time I'm listening in because this matters to me." She told me before I could react.

"I'm happy for you Anna." I reassured quietly. She smiled. "Does Dean feel the same way?" I asked her, unsure of how 'girl talk' usually panned out.

"I don't know. The last time we spoke was when we were all together. He doesn't know I am aware of this situation, nor has he called for me yet." She looked hurt, "He's called every angel he remembers but me."

"Anna, he probably thinks you're already doing your part. We all know that you're on our side... you rebelled for us."

"Anyway," she blinked a few times, "do you really want to go back?"

_"Whatever it is, whatever has happened, it's okay. Everything is gonna alright, I'll fix it, baby I promise, I'll fix it all. Just come h-" _

My heart ached again. Home.

"I do, but I won't."

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 30/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, please feel free to review the story, after the next chapter I have to start writing again and so feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'm not completely sure where this story is going to go so your input may actually affect the storyline! Remember to review xx

P.S. I know this is a sisfic but I have no idea if my sibling fluff is too much, too little or just right. Let me know guys :)

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	8. Chapter 8 - It's Not Safe Anymore

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, hope you are all enjoying the story. This is the last chapter I had pre-written, after this the next chapter will be up in around a week's time. Now I know you guys are being sneaky because so far I've had 62 views for this story but only one review... How am I supposed to know what you guys like if you don't tell me? :'( Please feel free to review, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter, this one's nice and fluffy :)

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 8.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 31/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 8 – It's Not Safe Anymore**

Nathaniel woke me in the morning by pulling me out of bed and then crouching with me beside the side table.

"What the actual fuck?" I yawned rubbing my eyes. I'll be the first to admit I was not a morning person. I didn't get to say anything else because he had his hand over my mouth. Something was definitely not right. He pulled me closer to the wall and after a few seconds of surveying he turned to me.

"Don't make a sound." He mouthed to me. I nodded in compliance and stayed as still as I could. After he was what I assumed sure, that we were safe, he pulled me up and dragged me to the window. He pulled out a packed bag from the closet and handed it to me.

Nathaniel was about to say something as I was pulling on the bag then instead yelled,

"Duck! NOW!" I did and was just missed by a knife. He shut the door and pulled me up. He grabbed the knife and started cutting his hand.

"Get out from the window, when you get to the bottom, you run. You hear me, run home." He started drawing the angel symbols on the door.

"What! Home! What's going on?" I asked as he opened the door a smidge and threw out what looked like a hex bag. There was an explosion and the house went quiet.

"They'll be back." He breathed as he walked towards me. He ushered me towards the window quickly. "It's a trap."

Oh My God.

"They want to kill you, we're not sure why but you have to run home to your brothers. Cas escaped and told Anna last night before he was captured again but you need to go. Don't look back and call them the first sign you get. Now GO!"

I held onto him as he lowered me outside but as my feet touched the roof, he was pulled in and I heard a gut wrenching scream. It was chaos from there on in. As I climbed down the whole house exploded and I was flung onto the road. I picked myself up and I ran.

It was a hot day and so running was never going to be easy, especially if I wanted to get home. I ran for about fifteen minutes looking for a payphone of some sort before realising I had no money on me. I felt around and all I did have was my knife and two guns. I decided to keep running before whatever was in the house came looking.

It took me an hour to get to the North Fork Community Library where I asked if I could make a phone call. The lady kindly allowed me to, maybe because of how I looked but I was grateful nonetheless.

I dialed Dean's number, the cell rang twice.

"Hello?" it was Ash.

"Ash?" I asked. Please let Dean be alright.

"Lexie? Lex! What happened? No, where are you?" Ash was flustered.

"Ash, are my brothers there?" I asked frantically and very aware the angels could be waiting outside.

"No, everyone left to stop one of the seals from being broken but they left me at the base. Lex, are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"Uh, not quite. I'm on the run from angels. I'm at the North Fork Community Library, south of Peaceful Valley in WA and Ash, I need to be picked up. I have nothing but two guns and a knife. I had to leave everything behind." There was a silence.

"You're wearing clothes right?" he asked me. I groaned.

"Are you KIDDING me? Ash, when my brothers get home, tell them to ditch all the angels except for Cas, Anna, Nathaniel and Micah though Nathaniel's probably dead. They can't trust Ruby and tell them to please come and get me. I need them. Can you please book me bus tickets or something from there?" I asked keeping an eye on the window.

"Uh sure, give me a minute."

* * *

Twenty minutes later I was boarding a bus to Salt Lake City. I was so tired of all this shit. I just wanted to be home, with no more angels up my ass trying to kill me or my brothers. I fell asleep not long after and awoke when we reached La Grande. I stretched and looked around the bus. No suspicious characters that I could see as yet. As I went to touch my hair, a piece of paper scratched me from my wrist. I looked at my sleeve and saw a small note tucked in. Looking around once to make sure no one was spying, I then opened it. It was from Anna. Nathaniel must have slipped it in when he was helping me out the window. It read:

_Alexis, I am sorry we could not explain the situation to you in more detail. Castiel did escape from Zachariah to tell me that the angels are after your blood and that you must not trust them. They are more deceptive than you think. Be wary on your journey home, the angels may have overheard any conversation you had and may have followed you to your destination. I have taken Micah with me and when Nathaniel returns, the three of us will attempt to save Castiel. If we survive, we will find you and we will help you. You are one of the bravest young women I have ever come across and you should know that your sacrifice never went in vain. I am so proud of you. Look after your brothers and keep yourself safe Alexis. I have found a true friend in you._

_Anna _

I smiled at the letter and prayed they would make it out alive and successful if they went for Castiel. Heeding her advice, I got off the bus at the Wolf Creek Lane intersection and started walking from there. After about ten minutes of walking, I sat in the grass on the side of the road, waiting. When the bus got to Boise, and I wasn't on it, Sam would stay behind and Dean would drive up to Peaceful Valley. On the way, he'd find me. I know we were meant to meet at Salt Lake City but knowing my brothers, they had long passed that.

I waited what must have been an hour on the silent road, hoping to God that Dean got here before dark, I had twenty-four bullets and a knife. I could certainly make them count out here but I didn't want to. I was lying in the grass when I heard the familiar sound of an engine approaching. I scrambled up and ran to the side of the road.

Dean slowed to a stop ten feet ahead of me with a look of absolute shock on his face. I stopped to stare at him, his familiar face, his hazel eyes and that ridiculous hair.

I couldn't believe he was actually here. The past month flashed before my eyes and I felt so very weak just at the thought of not being with him again. I exhaled in exhaustion.

We both broke out of the trance at the same time as my shoulders went limp and he opened the door. I didn't wait for anything... there he was, finally in front of me, my safety, my brother.

Dean Winchester

I ran as fast as I could. He got out of the car and opened his arms just as I flew into them. I held onto him for dear life. With my arms pulling him close, my legs around his waist and my face buried in the crook of his neck, I didn't plan on letting go.

He held me tight against him, squeezing me in a death grip. He had a hand on my back and one on my head, holding me as close to him as humanly possible.

The familiar smell of his jacket and the strength of his broad shoulders took me back years to when I was a little girl and I had never felt safer.

"Dean." I breathed out. Then he flew into big brother mode. He sat me on the hood and leaned in front of me so we were at eye level. He held my face with his hand, wiping away the tears with his thumb and I held his wrist, while he did. His face showed he was very concerned.

He looked into my eyes.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. His voice, so familiar and comforting.

Apart from the scratches I received from the blast, the ache in my body from being on the run and all the emotional trauma, I was otherwise fine.

I nodded meekly not wanting to lose his gaze. He kept searching my face for a sign of injury. I tightened my grip on his wrist, shut my eyes, tilted my head and rested my face in his hand. With my eyes shut, I suddenly felt his body warmth as he pulled me close again. I clutched his jacket and then a wave of emotions hit me at once. I didn't have to run, I didn't have to hide and I didn't have to lie. I was with Dean now and he would take care of everything. I felt limp and then lost consciousness.

* * *

I woke up in the Impala hours later leaning on Dean who was driving beside me. He noticed me stir and pulled over on the side of the road.

"Where are we?" I asked disorientated.

"Almost home." His voice sounded surreal to me and I still couldn't believe he was actually here. I crawled across the seat and threw myself at him.

"Dean!" I touched his face as he held me up. "You're really here." He brushed my hair away from my face.

"Lex, are you sure you're not hurt? You've been out for about seven hours." He asked me with such concern.

"I'm just very tired Dean. Where's Sammy?" I asked looking around the car like he was hiding from me.

"I told him to meet us at home. Get some rest." He told me. I couldn't tell if he was mad but I listened to him anyway. I laid my jacket on his thigh and rested.

* * *

Dean woke me up when we got to the Roadhouse. He didn't stop to say anything but simply walked with me to the door. I opened it and walked in not sure what to expect. It was exactly how Anna had described it... hectic. There were hunters and angels everywhere, hunched over maps, making bullets, cleaning weapons... the lot. There was a massive map of America on the wall marked with dots, crosses and sticky notes. On the other wall there were pictures of almost everyone we had ever encountered and using them, a mind map had been created. Ash had set up all sorts of equipment and so there was a lot of beeping and other annoying noises. In panic at all the commotion I stepped back into Dean and he held me. He whispered into me ear.

"It's okay, come on." He led me through the crowd and we walked by, hunters and angels alike stopped working staring at me. I looked at them slightly scared and moved a little closer to Dean. He noticed and pulled me closer under his arm. When we got to the back Dean pushed me through first.

Bobby was sitting at the back table with Ash looking over some maps. Ellen was on the phone with someone while she looked out the window and Jo was sitting next to Sam. He was literally five feet away from me but his back was turned. Jo saw me first and her face said it all.

"Lex." She whispered. Bobby and Ash had seen me; Ellen was putting down the phone in awe. As soon as Jo had spoken, Sam's head jerked up. He turned his head slowly and he saw me.

In less than a second he was out of his chair, he had grabbed me roughly and lifted me to him. He held me firmly and was breathing really loudly. I held him tight and buried my face in his hair. It felt so good to be back with my brothers, I never wanted to leave them again.

"Thank God." He whispered as he put me down. The others smiled at me and quietly made their way out leaving me alone with my brothers. As soon as they were out, I was ready to explain but Sam grabbed my shoulders and beat me to it.

"What the HELL were you thinking!" he yelled at me. His voice shocked me and I tried to loosen his grip on me.

"Sam-" I started but nothing came out.

"What? Come on tell me. What was it that you couldn't do here? What reason could you possibly have for leaving? What made you walk away from us?" He was grinding his teeth as he spoke and his grip was hurting me.

"I-" my eyes darted across his face and my breathing got quicker in confusion. Why was he so angry? I was home... I was safe!

"What was it? Come on tell me. There had to be a fucking good reason, right? Or were you just upset? I found out you were talking to Ruby, Dean got mad and you couldn't take it? So you thought the best thing to do was LEAVE?" he yelled at me.

I had forgotten that's why they thought I'd left. How would they have known otherwise? Castiel wasn't here, Anna wasn't here and I'd bet a good hundred that Ruby and Uriel were feeding them crap. I wanted to explain to them but Sam was staring me down and the words were stuck in my throat.

I glanced at Dean. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed watching me. It looked like he was waiting for an answer as well. Sam grabbed my chin and made me face him again.

"Dean's not helping you out of this one. Answer the question Alexis. Did you run away for a month because you were throwing a temper tantrum?"

That was it. I jerked my head away from his hand and pushed him off me. Dean didn't move.

Sam towered over me as I tried to get away from the wall. He then struck his arm out so I was trapped.

"Answer the fucking question. We're waiting for an answer and you're going to give us one." He stated angrily. I was having trouble breathing and needed to get out of the corner Sam had me in.

"Let me through." I said quietly.

"No." Sam didn't budge.

"Please let me though." I tried to focus on deep breaths.

"Answer the question."

"Sammy-" I tried to get it out but he interrupted.

"I said NO. Quit the drama and give me the truth." I pushed against him again but he was prepared and wouldn't let me through. It was getting really hot.

Dean was suddenly standing on the other side of Sam's arm.

"Wait Sam." He pulled Sam's arm down and I darted to the middle of the room and took fresh breaths. Sam and Dean exchanged glances. Then I got mad. I walked up to Sam and pushed him hard. They both were shocked at my outburst.

"Is that what you think of me?" I accused both of them.

"That I'd leave the two of you to get attention? You thought that I ran away because you yelled at me? How weak do you think I am?" I looked at them both as they stood silently.

"You think I wanted to leave? Do you really believe that I would leave the two people I can't live without because I was angry? If I could have I would have stayed. I wouldn't have left you two for the world but I had no choice." There were tears in my eyes as I stared at them. Sam still looked mad and Dean had his poker face on.

"If I could have told you two what was going on, I would have, believe me, I would have. I never wanted to do this alone." Sam stepped closer to me.

"Yeah, then what was stopping you?" he asked. I looked at Sam, he didn't believe me still. Then I looked at Dean.

"Dean." I answered.

Dean's eyebrows pulled together and he strode up to me. Sam didn't even have a chance to question him. Dean grabbed my shoulders.

"When? When did I ever tell you to leave us? When did I ever tell you to do this by yourself?" They were both standing over me.

"Never," I replied and they waited, "I did it for you Dean. To protect you." I justified. Dean took a step back.

"Protect me? From what?" he asked, just as confused as Sam.

"Okay, let me start from the beginning." I told them, otherwise they'd just keep asking me stupid questions.

"When we were hunting the Jinn, Ruby came to me in the car and told me I was marked with Lilith's blood." Their faces filled with realisation but they continued to let me speak. "I didn't believe her but then she cut me and when my blood fell on her it was like acid. It burned right through her. She told me that because I was marked by Lilith, Lilith could find me wherever I went and so basically both your hex bags and protection would do nothing." I paused letting them take it in.

"I told her that Castiel could fix me but she said nobody knew how to unbind Lilith's blood yet and even if Cas figured it out, it'd probably be different for me because of the way I was brought into this world." They were listening intently.

"She gave me this bracelet," I jingled it in front of them. "which shielded me from the angels and told me I had to run away. That way if Lilith found me, she wouldn't be able to get to Sam. She said that Lilith was getting stronger and now that Sam wasn't drinking demon blood, he was getting weaker. So by me staying near Sam, I was pretty much serving him up to Lilith." Sam was deep in thought.

"I argued that if I left, Lilith could draw you out by killing me. That's when she told me that when I was far enough away from you, I had to kill myself."

Dean's face dropped at this point and Sam stopped altogether.

"What?" Sam asked me. He was not very happy with that news.

"Kill yourself? Is that that what you left to do? Kill yourself?!" Dean asked me. He looked furious. I winced at his voice as the two of them waited from my answer.

"Initially yes-" I started. Sam turned around in frustration and Dean took a step closer even madder than before with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Okay, so Lilith finds Sam and she kills him? Big deal, we call Castiel and tell him to pull Sam out." Dean told me. Sam nodded in agreement.

"I said the same thing but Ruby said Castiel wouldn't save Sam since it was Castiel who told you," I pointed to Dean. "that if you didn't stop Sam, he would. She said I couldn't trust Castiel to save Sam."

"So you ran away, planning to kill yourself to save Sam?" Dean asked.

"Well if I stayed here, Lilith would kill me and Sam. The angels don't give a shit about us, they wouldn't pull us up. Then you'd be left here alone." I defended myself.

"I would make them bring you back. I would ensure your safety." Dean told me angrily. I shook my head at him.

"And then you'd be heaven's bitch till the end of time. I wasn't going to let that happen either." I stated. "I started planning a getaway but then Cas figured it out. He tried so hard to change my mind but I wouldn't. He was going to tell you and that's when they took him away." I directed at Dean. Sam ran his hands through his hair and Dean walked towards me.

"Why would the angels take Cas away for wanting to save you?" I looked at him.

"Uriel talked to me that night and told me that I was liability. If you ever found out I was at risk of being hunted by Lilith, your focus would be on me and not on heaven's tasks. They didn't want me to distract you so they offered to help me remove myself from you. Castiel was an obstacle so they took him away. The angels wanted me to leave you be." I said softly.

Dean's eyes widened and he clenched his jaw in anger.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Sam came to stand next to Dean.

"Look, they didn't approve of me working with a demon and they didn't find it necessary for me to kill myself so they offered me an improved plan. They said they'd help me run away and offer me protection from Lilith if I promised to stay as far away as possible from Dean, so all this commotion didn't distract you." I looked at him with tears in my eyes. He stared back at me.

"I didn't want to put you guys in danger so I agreed, but I couldn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't let me go. The night that we fought, I had spoken to Ruby," I turned towards Dean, "but I couldn't tell you. You both got so mad and when you left I was upset but I realised it was the opportune moment to make a run for it. Uriel helped zap me to where I was going and that's where I've been hiding out for the past month." I took a deep breath.

Sam faced Dean but he was still looking at me.

"We asked that bastard a million times, and he said he couldn't find her. We begged him Dean, and that son of a bitch lied to our faces." Sam growled at Dean. I guess this was a lot to take in.

"We knew we couldn't tell you two." I piped in. They both looked back at me. "But Uriel and Ruby are worse than you think. On my second day there, Ruby appeared from God knows where and Uriel left me with her, the bastard. Ruby said that Uriel was working with her and she told me she wanted me and Dean dead. I asked her what the point was because the angels could just bring us back. She said she didn't believe the angels would bring me back because I was expendable. She really wanted you guys to look for them after you found out I was dead." I informed the two of them.

Dean and Sam were equally confused as I was about why Ruby and Lilith wanted to be found.

"Anyway, Lilith decided to join the party so I shot them both and ran downstairs. They held me down in the kitchen and tried to kill me – bitches recorded the whole thing – but before they could actually kill me, Castiel appeared and sent their asses packing. He healed me but before we could talk, Anna appeared and took him away." I tried hard to remember the sequence of events.

"Ruby tried to kill you?" Dean asked me. I nodded. "You hearing this Sammy?"

"Yeah Dean, so wait Castiel got out? And Anna was there?" Sam asked me.

"Yes, Anna somehow got back into the garrison and she's playing double agent. She was one of the angels watching Castiel so she let him leave long enough to help me. She also told me that Uriel was considered innocent because he hadn't confessed to working with Ruby and so he was allowed to stay with you. She became my angel, alongside Nathaniel and Micah. They took good care of me for that month. They helped me call you." I explained.

That caught their attention.

"You called us?" Dean looked shocked.

"The first was a blank call to Jo and the second one was to you Sammy." I told them. Dean walked forward and took my head in his hands.

"You heard what I said? Is that why you came back?" he asked me. I shook my head slowly in response. He let go of me and stepped back. I walked towards him.

"Dean, trust me, I wanted to, I really wanted to come back, but I knew it was dangerous for you. Anna told me the morning after I called you the second time that Castiel had escaped for a short time to tell her that the angels wanted me dead and that I had to get home. They attacked the house but I escaped and that's when I called Ash. I got off early because Anna slipped me a note." I breathed heavily and handed it to them. Sam took the note from my hand and held it between the two of them as they read it.

I stepped back and waited. I had told them everything and know they knew. We were all on the same page and everything was going to be okay. I took long, deep breaths and walked over to the table.

"I am so exhausted." I stated as I sat down in a chair and put my head in my hands. They looked up at me and walked over.

"I wanted to ask you both what to do… come to you for help but everyone told me not to. They all told me to leave because it would keep you both safe." I shut my eyes in defeat. I should've gone to Sam and Dean first. "I've had the worst time of my life being away from you two," I looked up at them, "but I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving you." I admitted meekly.

My tears pushed Dean into big brother mode and he crouched down beside me.

"Alexis, listen to me." He ordered. I looked up at Dean. He held my face and wiped away my tears. He had such a determined look on his face.

"It is not your job to save us. You hear me? Not your job. Whatever they say to you, you always come to us. No matter how big or small a problem it is. If you want to run away, if they threaten you… even if someone looks at you funny; you come to us… you come to _me_. If they tell you the world will burn down and we'll rot in hell, you tell them to stick it and I'll take care of it." He pointed to himself.

He looked down and there was a silence in the room. He finally looked back up at me. "And if those bastards ever have the balls to tell you to leave, to leave us…" tears were forming in his eyes, "to leave me" he said through clenched teeth, "… I'll tear this world in half and they can deal with me before they touch you." He vowed.

It hit me then. What had just happened? Did I really just do everything I think I did? Did I really leave the one person I trusted more than anybody else?

I stared at Dean, unable to comprehend how I was stupid enough to leave him, when after everything I did; he still stood before me and reassured me that he'd tear the world in half if someone tried to fuck with me. That huge load which had been weighing me down since Ruby appeared in the backseat of the Impala was suddenly gone. Instead I saw Dean.

He was still watching me with sharp eyes, like I might make a run for it right in front of him. Then I noticed his hands were on either side of the chair, he was restraining me subconsciously. He must have noticed too because he slowly let go of the chair.

Sam and Dean never got the chance to say anything else because Ellen walked in. Sam must have been looking at her because whatever she said was directed at him. I was still looking at Dean and Dean was still crouched in front of me with his back to Ellen, watching me. He was waiting to see the resolve in my eyes. He didn't trust my speech and so he was going to rely on my eyes to tell him the truth.

Ellen came over to me and guided me out of the chair; Dean stood up and got out of our way. She led me out of the room and as we exited I turned to see both my brothers watching me as I left.

Of course they were going to talk about me.

Ellen escorted me out of the bar and into the house. She took me to her en-suite and shut the door. She had laid out a towel and some of Jo's clothes but that wasn't what caught my attention. I turned around and rushed back into the hall. All I could do was stare.

There were holes in Ellen's walls; her furniture was upturned, her windows were broken; it was an absolute mess up here. Thoughts started rushing through my mind. Was Ruby or Uriel one step ahead of me? Did they attack? Did they send demons? Did Lilith attack? Panic rushed through me as I thought about all the possible scenarios.

"Ellen?" I felt her behind me, "What happened here?" I whispered in horror.

There was a silence.

"Dean happened."

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 31/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the reunion. Of course it's not over yet, there has to be an emotional talk with Sam and then one with Dean ect. Please review the story! The next chapter isn't written yet so feedback would be greatly appreciated. Remember, I'm not completely sure where this story is going to go so your input may actually affect the storyline! Remember to review xx

Again P.S. I know this is a sisfic but I have no idea if my sibling fluff is too much, too little or just right. Let me know guys :)

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	9. Chapter 9 – Night Time Stories

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, so this is the next chapter, YAY! I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, sammygrrl00, emily2696 and cheekiimonkeii2! It really means the world to me when I get feedback about my writing. Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Also, I've been asked about why Ash is still alive in season 4, all I can say is that everything will be revealed in due time. Also, Pastor Jim in not alive in this story, Alexis said she was going to his house where his wife Linda lives.

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**EDIT: **I read through these first chapters and realized I had to make changes. This is now the edited version of chapter 9.

**This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 31/07/2013.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 9 – Night Time Stories**

"Dean? Dean didn't do this?" I turned around and stared her down. Her gaze never broke and I realized she was telling the truth. My eyes widened and the shock must have been evident on my face.

"You mean Dean fought something up here?" I asked her. What could he have fought that caused this much damage? Angels usually shattered glass, demons played with the wind and neither of those could have gotten in. Ellen shook her head at me. Was she trying to say that Dean attacked the house?

"But why would Dean do this?" I was at a loss for words. Yes I'd seen Dean get angry before but at his worst I saw him beating in the Impala after dad's death. Otherwise he never took his anger out on the things around him. Dean had a terrible habit of placing the blame on himself, so no, I had never seen him punch in walls, shatter furniture or break glass.

I turned back to Ellen for an explanation. She sighed.

"I got a call from Sam the morning you went missing. Your brothers didn't believe that you had run away, they thought you were abducted by something."

Say what? My perfect plan didn't fool my brothers? Then I remembered Uriel, the angel that saved me from hours of travelling. Was it to ease my journey or because he knew that Sam and Dean would be on my trail faster. Did he zap me to WA so I wouldn't get caught and influenced by my brothers? Uriel was sneakier than I gave him credit for.

"They called Linda straight away and let her know that if you did show up, not to let you leave but they were sure that something else was happening. They called me that morning and asked me to find out if there were any demonic like signs showing up so I gathered a few of the best hunters I knew and started looking. It was through them and Ash's skills that we found out seals were being broken and so, many of them set out to take care of those while Sam and Dean focused on you."

I was grateful that the hunters, who were currently working away in the roadhouse, were able to back Sam and Dean up. It reminded me that in the end we were all aiming for the same thing, ridding the world of monsters. Ellen led me back to her room and sat me in her armchair. She took the seat opposite me on her bed, probably so I didn't mess up her pretty white sheets with my "running for my life" sweat.

"Sam summoned Ruby and Dean attacked her. He was so sure that Ruby had done something to you. Sam had to step in and ask, but Ruby claimed that she knew nothing about you going missing. She told your brothers she would snoop around and try to find out what was going on. They asked that angel friend of yours too, Uriel, to find you but he couldn't even get close. He said something about you having an angel shield, something you probably got from a demon, which was blocking him from getting to you."

I touched the bracelet on my wrist. Initially Ruby had given it to me to hide from angels but I hadn't needed it after I started working with Uriel and he instead changed it into protection against Lilith.

"After having nothing useful come from Ruby and Uriel, your brothers tried to figure who would have the motive to take you and why they would make it look like you had run away. They were so frustrated and became even madder when no one contacted them for any kind of ransom. They thought that at least if the thing that took you blackmailed or threatened them, they'd have somewhere… anywhere to start, but they never got a call or any kind of message." Ellen stopped for a moment so I could take it all in.

I knew that it was essential for me to hear this, to hear what had happened after I had left, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. It hurt me to think of Sam and Dean going to Uriel and Ruby for help. It hurt to imagine them trying to work out who had taken me and worst part, why they had taken me. They could have thought anything… that I was being tortured for information or that I was being held by something they had pissed off. I guess they didn't even know if I was alive. Ellen's voice snapped me back into focus.

"Lex, we didn't want to, but we had to bring up the possibility that you were dead." A look of horror crossed her face. "Dean didn't like hearing that all. He was sure that you were alive and he kept saying that he would know if you were dead. Sam on the other hand was buried in books. He was making calls to every state, checking all the motels for your aliases. He and Ash had hacked into all the CCTV footage in America. He had Jo, Bobby and I running around the whole time and he was hopped up on caffeine. That boy didn't sleep the whole first week." She smiled at me as if hearing that Sam was sleep deprived was going to make me feel better. It wasn't.

"Then came the day Jo got that phone call from you. Sam and Bobby were in the middle of searching New York and Dean was sitting alone in front of that big board, the one with all the suspects. The second he heard that no one was on the other side he jumped out of his seat and rushed to Jo. We knew then that this was important and Jo just handed him the cell, no questions asked. He knew it was you. Somehow he knew."

I remembered the call and how Dean had said my name. It wasn't a question. He wasn't asking if it was me, he was telling me that he knew it was me on the other end. Was he as overwhelmed as me when I made that call?

"Then you hung up and Dean just went silent. The phone dropped out of his hand and he walked out of the roadhouse. Sam went running after him but they never spoke of it." Ellen stared at the ground as she was reliving the moment. I couldn't take this anymore.

"Ellen," she looked up at me, "I can't do this right now." The image of Dean on the phone and of him walking out; it hurt me more than I cared to admit. She nodded and got up.

"I'll leave you to it then Alexis." She walked to the door and then turned around. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound Lex." She smiled and I smiled back. In reality, the pain was tearing apart my heart.

* * *

After my shower I went down to Ellen's kitchen where she'd left out dinner for me. As I sat at the dining table, Dean walked into the kitchen. I stopped, uncertain of what do next. I still didn't know exactly how Dean felt towards me, I was thinking more towards angry and disappointed. I wanted to say sorry. I wanted to tell him I knew I was an idiot. I just wanted to talk to him. There was a pain in his eyes every time he looked at me and it made me want to shoot myself. He didn't see me sitting in the dark, or maybe he did, I don't know, but he grabbed a beer and left the way he came. I rested my head on my palm in defeat. Apparently my body didn't realize that when the brain says 'speak', the mouth is meant to move.

Half an hour later I was sitting in Jo's room alone, sorting through the clothes Sam and Dean had brought with them. I didn't want to keep using Jo's stuff; it was bad enough I was invading her personal space. The good thing about the Roadhouse was that Ellen always expected visitors, so she had a four bedroom house and a few rooms next to Ash's which were attached to the Roadhouse. They rebuilt after the explosion and made it more accommodating. Ash was very recently brought back from heaven, but the first thing he did was ask whether his room was alright. Here Sam and Dean had their own rooms and I got to share with Jo because she had a bigger room.

My mind was wandering. So much had happened in such a small amount of time. I had to remind myself that Castiel, Anna, Micah and Nathaniel were on a dangerous mission; that Uriel, Ruby and Lilith were working together and that Sam and Dean were mad at me. Ellen's words echoed in my mind, the torture that my older brothers must have gone through because I gave them no heads up whatsoever. If I had left some sort of trail, maybe they wouldn't have been the way they were.

When Sam can't cope and when he can't figure something out, his next resort is going to the books. Sometimes the answers aren't even there but the process of reading new information keeps Sam sane. He sees that there are still things he doesn't know and so maybe there's a chance that the answer he's looking for is still out there.

Dean is different. You know something's wrong with Dean when he becomes quieter and you know his soul is exploding inside of him when he becomes silent. Ellen described both my brothers in their worst state and so I felt pretty damn shitty for being the one to make them feel like that. I didn't want to stay in the room anymore. It felt like the toxic thoughts in my head were leaking out, bouncing off the walls and coming back to screw with me a second time.

* * *

I walked down the hallway, actively checking to see if anyone else was up. I knew Jo and Ellen would still be at the Roadhouse, it was still a little early for a hunter's bedtime. Dean's light was off but I stopped at his door anyway hoping to hear him move. There was no sound; he must have been really tired. Further down the hall Sam's light was still on. I crept up to the door and knocked lightly. Two seconds later it opened with Sam standing on the other side. He must have been awake. He was still in his white Tee and jeans, there was a book lying open on his bed and his eyes were wide open.

"Hi." I sounded timid, even to myself.

"Hi." He sounded weary and less mad. A small smile came to his lips and he pulled me into his room and shut the door.

"What's so funny?" I asked with my hands in Jo's hoodie pockets. He turned to me and pulled me into a hug, smothering my face against his chest. He held me for a good ten seconds before he kissed the top of my head and then let me go. I looked at him quizzically.

"You have no idea how many times I opened that door hoping you'd be standing on the other side in your hoodie asking for my help or trying to sneak in late at night to see what I was doing." He put his hand to his face in exhaustion.

"Lex," he sighed. I stopped him in the middle of his sentence by climbing onto his bed, hugging him around his neck and then wrapping my feet around his waist. This was the easiest way to hug Sam. I rested my head on his shoulder. He was caught off guard but his hands moved around me, as they had many times before, he held me and began rubbing circles on my back.

"Sam I'm sorry." I clutched his T-shirt. "I really am Sam. I know I shouldn't have left, I made so many mistakes but I'm sorry and I wish I had listened to you two. It was the worst being without you guys, I had never felt so alone in my life." Sam held me a little tighter.

"It's okay Lex." He whispered.

A load lifted off my shoulders as soon as I heard those words. I know that Dean had raised me, that I spent more time with Dean and generally was a lot more like Dean but I often forgot that Sam was my older brother too. Dean just did such a great job as older brother, Sam hardly ever had to step in, but after being alone in WA, I reminded myself of how at ease I was around Sam. Sam and I weren't just siblings; we were really close siblings who understood each other well. Dean on the other hand was like my other half and our relationship often overshadowed that of mine and Sam's.

I had missed Sam a lot. Yes he had changed after Dean's death and was currently hopped up on demon blood, which was why he was more tense nowadays, but he was still my goof head of a brother who I grew up with. He had fed me as a kid, played with me, read to me and even tucked me into bed. At the moment I felt like the safest person in world; wrapped in my big brother's arms with him telling me everything was alright.

He put me down. I made my way over to his bed and made myself comfortable by sitting cross-legged in the corner. He sat on the opposite site of the bed but let his legs stretch out and touch the wall, trapping me on the bed. He knew I was here to talk which was why he didn't say anything.

"Ellen told me a bit about what happened after I left." I started and scanned his face, waiting for his reaction. A flash of pain crossed his face, something you'd never notice if you didn't know Sam as well as his siblings. I kept going,

"I wanted to know from you what had happened." He seemed conflicted; like he didn't think telling me was going to be helpful. "Sam, I want to know. I need to know." We were silent for a while as he contemplated what to do. He finally came to a decision.

"Dean and I had met up at the bar, he called me and we talked about Ruby." I had forgotten that Dean was initially angry about that. "He ignored our argument and we tried to figure out what to do with you. He decided to go home and talk to you about it first but when we got home, the lights were out. It was a little strange but the minute we opened the door we knew something was up. The salt lines seemed fine and there were no signs of struggle but I felt sick. I didn't know where you were, if you had left or if you'd been taken." The only thing I felt was pain but I probably deserved it after what I had put Sam and Dean through.

"We started calling people but all I could think about was that the last time I saw you, we were fighting. I knew I could have stopped it. If I hadn't fought with you, if I hadn't backed Ruby, I'd be at home with you or Dean would have been with you and whatever had happened; wouldn't have happened. The most frustrating thing is not knowing what went wrong. You have nothing to work with, no direction to start with and it's all 'hit and miss'." He sat up a little straighter.

"I kept myself busy with books but Dean was on a lethal manhunt. He was so focused on finding you and fixing this. You could see he thought it was his fault. Neither of us appreciated it when Ellen brought up the idea you might be dead but Dean took it worse. He told her that if she wasn't going to be of any use, then she should leave. After that, the thought lingered in the back of our minds. You could have potentially been dead, so what do we do? Then you called us."

Everyone kept talking about my phone call like it had made a huge impact on what was going on. I was going to find out why now.

"Dean knew it was you. He always knows." Sam knew what it was like to be the younger sibling of Dean Winchester. You were always safe, someone always had your back and you were never lost.

"The minute you hung up, I was relieved." I looked at him in confusion. He saw my expression and rushed to defend himself. "No! I mean it meant you were alive, and well enough to call. It meant we had something to work off! On the other hand, I think Dean would have dealt with it better if you had been kidnapped. At least then he'd have someone he could take his anger out on, someone he could kill. But the fact that you called, it meant you had left on your own, and it meant that you didn't feel right with us, or in Dean's case, you didn't feel right with him."

This is what I hadn't wanted Dean to feel. I didn't want him to think that he'd done something to make me leave.

"Anyway, you hung up, the phone slipped out of his hand and he just left. Everyone was quiet but we knew that you weren't being held against your will, otherwise Dean would have been swearing black and blue into that cell. I followed him out and followed the Impala to crossroads. I wasn't sure what he was going to do but I waited hoping he was just going to scream into the sky. He ended up summoning a crossroads demon and that's when I got out to stop him. He shut me up, of course, and when the demon came he asked her one question. 'Where is my sister?' She had a witty comeback and then Dean took out the colt. She said she didn't know and he didn't even ask her again, just a bullet straight through her head."

I sat up straighter. Sam nodded at my disbelief.

"I know; I couldn't believe it either. Dean just using a colt bullet on an average crossroad demon; didn't make any sense. I pulled the gun away from him and we ended up fighting. He yelled at me for believing you left on your own. He said 'She wouldn't leave Sam! She wouldn't leave us! It not like Lex to leave. Something else is going on and I'm going to figure out what.' He was convinced that this wasn't your choice."

Well he was right about that.

"After a while, Dean became a little delirious. He stopped talking to us and would spend hours in front of that board, like there was a hidden message in it. He didn't want to miss another opportunity so he had planned out what he was going to say when you called again but that was a while away. In the meantime I was losing hope. No book was giving me any answers, you hadn't left a trail for me to follow and now that I knew you had left on your own accord, there was no demon I could torture answers out of.

You became like a dream. Dean didn't even know if you existed or if you were something he had imagined. He was quiet a lot of the time and really angry at everyone around him. He didn't want to hear what anyone else had to say, but every once in a while he came to check up on me. Once an older brother, always an older brother."

I smiled at that, we used to say it as kids when Dean would get mad at us but still tuck us into bed. Of course Dean was still going to look after Sammy, even if I was gone. That was the only thing he cared about, us.

"When you called again, we were onto you. We had started tracing the call but you must've known. You ended it too soon but we got the location somewhere in Africa. Then we knew you were bouncing our calls. And then it got tough. Dean just wanted to hear your voice, he wanted to make sure you were okay but when you hung up, he threw the phone at the wall and stormed into Ellen's house."

I remembered the second call and what Dean was trying to reassure me about. That he would fix everything for me.

"Ellen, Bobby and I followed him but he had started breaking things. He was so angry Lex. He had all this pent up anger and he was taking it out on Ellen's house. Bobby and Ellen tried to calm him down, I couldn't believe what was happening, but he pulled his gun on them. There was a look in his eyes, like he was actually going to pull the trigger. I told them to leave and that I'd look after Dean. He got upset after that. He said, 'It's my job to protect you Sammy, not the other way around. It was my job to protect Lex, and I couldn't even do that. I have no idea where she is, whether she's okay or not and the WORST fucking thing is I don't know why she left. It kills me Sam. I just want her back.'"

My eyes were slowly filling with tears.

"I tried to convince him that you probably wanted some space. We both knew that you weren't taking this whole thing with Lilith well and so maybe you just needed to get away. I don't know who I was kidding. He said to me, 'Someone is making her do this Sam. Someone forced her to leave, I know it, and when I get my hands on them, they're going to wish they had never gone near Lex.' Dean always believed this wasn't your choice."

"Well now you guys know it wasn't my choice. It was Ruby and Uriel; those assholes gave me no other choice." I yawned at him. Sam gave me a funny look, like I was a little kid blabbering on about unicorns and rainbows. He leaned forward and touched my hand.

"Why don't we talk about this tomorrow?" he asked quietly and a little too kindly. I was getting more tired by the second so I happily complied. I crawled over his legs but he moved them anyway. I leaned forward with my cheek to his face, waiting expectantly. He chuckled, gave me a goodnight kiss and sent me on my way. I shut the door quietly behind me and tiptoed towards my room.

I didn't want to be alone in Jo's room again where all those haunting thoughts and Sam's story would torture me into the night. I was tired of being alone, I was tired of living in silence and I was tired of being scared. I stopped in front of Dean's room listening for any signs of movement. There was no rustling of sheets but I could hear him sigh in frustration. He was awake. I knocked ever so lightly on the door and when there was no response, I opened the door quietly.

I peeked into the moonlit room and saw Dean sitting half up against the bedhead. I slipped into the room and shut the door behind me. Dean was looking out the window, one hand resting behind his head and the other resting on the other side of the queen bed. I slowly walked over and he turned his head to look at me. I crawled onto the bed and into his open arm. I softly rested my head on his chest and held onto his shirt, like I did when I was little.

I prayed he wouldn't tell me to leave and that the pain in his eyes wouldn't return. Instead of kicking me out, he pulled me closer and kissed my head.

"You don't want me to leave?" I asked quietly. He pulled the covers over us and looked down at me in frustration.

"When are you going to get it?" he asked me, "I am never turning my back on you."

I smiled and shut my eyes. Sleep came easy that night, and why wouldn't it when Dean Winchester was right beside you?

* * *

******This Chapter Has Been Rewritten on the 31/07/2013.**

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up, hopefully, in a weeks time. If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story! Also I was wondering if anyone was open to being my Beta Reader for this story. I'm not sure if every story requires one but if you're interested, please let me know.

REVIEW BELOW xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	10. Chapter 10 - The Mind Games

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys, so this is the next chapter! I know this chapter is a little dry but I felt it was necessary. I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, sammygrrl00, skylight12, caz21 and cheekiimonkeii2! It really means the world to me when I get feedback about my writing. Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Also, I didn't have as much fun writing this chapter as I usually do, but the story does have sad moments (which make me feel down) but it'll pick up soon. Trust me; the night is darkest before the dawn.

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 10 – The Mind Games**

The sun was shining brightly when I woke up, I must have slept in. I felt for Dean but instead found hot leather. I sat up in the back seat of the Impala, confused.

"Your hair looks awesome." I caught Dean's eyes in the rearview and growled. He smiled right back at me as I tried to adjust myself and fix my hair.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Why was it so necessary to leave when Ellen's house was a safe place? Sam pointed to the car in front of ours, it was Bobby's.

"There was one too many hunters at the roadhouse so we thought we'd go back with Bobby. We're almost there so please don't ask for a pit stop." Sam had turned to the back so he could speak to me. I reached forward to mess up his hair but stopped because of the pain in my side. The look on my face said it all.

"What's wrong?" Sam leaned towards me and lifted the side of my top up. There was a really big and ugly green-black bruise. Since I had a tan-olive skin tone I never bruised blue. On closer inspection I saw the bruised area already had bruising gel on it. My eyes shot up to meet Dean's in the rear view mirror.

"How did this happen? Did you drop me on the way to the car?" I asked him. Dean glared at me.

"I saw it this morning when you were in bed. And Sam took you to the car." I touched it and it pained.

"I didn't realize I got hurt." I caught Sam and Dean exchange worried glances at each other. "But it's nothing to worry about." I added slowly. Why were they acting so strange?

* * *

There were a lot of things on my checklist after I got to Bobby's. Eat breakfast, brush teeth, take shower, unpack, wash clothes ect. I couldn't really do much once I walked through the door. The place had been cleaned up but the memories came rushing back. The first one was Dean yelling at Sam, then Sam yelling at me and then Dean yelling at me. I remembered how Dean had left and how I had cried before I decided to make a run for it.

Sam pulled me forward so Dean could squeeze through the door behind me with the bags. Once they were both in, they stood in front of me as I stared at the living room.

"Come one, why don't we get you upstairs?" Dean snapped me out of my thoughts. I nodded and followed him up with the bags while Sam disappeared into the kitchen with Bobby. Dean led me to our room, it hadn't changed except the bed was done and my clothes weren't flung around like they were on the night I left. I put the bags down and turned around in time to see Dean shut the door. I knew this was coming.

"What's up?" I went to lean against the window sill. Dean turned around and watched me. He took a minute to structure whatever he was going to say.

"When we fought that night, did that have anything to do with you leaving?" I stared at Dean and it hurt me to see him like this. Uncertain of what I was capable of doing. He waited for a response.

"I was upset that night, but that's not why I left." I paused. "I left because I had no other choice."

"You always have a choice." He retaliated.

"Letting Sam get killed is not a choice Dean." I raised my voice. Frustration was evident on his face.

"You could've come to me. You _should_ have come to me." I moved away from the window and closer to Dean.

"And what would you have done? If I told you that I was marked with Lilith's blood, what would you have done?" I stepped closer.

"I would have dealt with it."

"And if I told you that I couldn't be unmarked, then?" I stood in front of him.

"I would fix it." He seemed certain.

"You can't fix it Dean! What if I told you that the ONLY way to ensure your safety and Sam's safety was for me to move to the other side of the country, without you two, then what Dean? Would you have let me go?" I was in his personal space. He clenched his teeth.

"Well, would you?" I asked. He snapped. He pushed me against the wall. My eyes widened and my breathing quickened at his outburst.

"No." he was pressing hard against my shoulders. "I would have kept you right by my side… because that's where you're safe. You are untouchable when you are with me, and I wouldn't compromise that for anything. It was my decision to make whether or not I was concerned about Lilith finding you, not yours." I felt my blood boil. His decision? I was ready to let my fist connect with his face.

"Just like it was _your_ decision to make a deal for Sam?" his eyes softened ever so slightly. "Whether you want to believe it or not Dean, I'd rather give myself up than lose you again." He didn't like the sound of that.

My eyes were becoming teary but the tears wouldn't dare fall. "I will not go through that again." I spat at him. He let go of my shoulders and moved back, finally realizing that I had not forgiven him for making a deal and leaving me.

"Lex-" he started but I put my hand up and stopped him.

"I love Sam with all my heart, but he left us once Dean and he did it again when you left. I couldn't breathe when you left. I thought it was the shock but that suffocating feeling never left me. Every other day I'd try to make the minutes pass. Sometimes when I was with Bobby I'd forget but it would only last a second before I'd turn around and you weren't there. And then I'd remember why you weren't there and where you actually were." My voice cracked but I held in my tears.

"I couldn't do it again Dean… I barely made it through the first time. So when Ruby came to me, there was no other choice. I had to go otherwise I was dead anyway. Don't condemn me for that." He seemed lost, unsure of what to say. I knew he didn't have a defense because if he were in my position he probably would have done something similar.

He walked to the window and looked out. I used the opportunity to wipe my eyes.

"I thought you were taken the second I saw you weren't in the house because I knew you'd never leave. If there was one person I could count on to stay, it was you. My whole life, you were the one who stayed. I promised myself that when I got my hands on whoever had taken you away, I'd rip them to pieces. I didn't know where to begin but I knew that if you didn't want to be found you'd think like us and do the opposite. I let the rest of them trace your aliases while I looked at our friends. People you'd trust and let into the house. Although you didn't trust Ruby, she was high on my list after I found out you were working with her." Dean had actually had a lead. Who would've thought?

"Then came that phone call. The phone call that fucked it all up. Jo gets a blank call, it has to be you. You hanging up after hearing your name, it means you weren't taken and you left on your own. There was no ransom, no threats; I should have figured it out earlier but I didn't want to believe you would do that. All I could think was that you had left because we fought. I thought you weren't in your right mind and on top of that you were by yourself while Lilith was out looking for us. I knew you had someone's help if the angels couldn't find you but who would help you?"

I had underestimated how well Dean knew me. I also noticed that he left out the part where he wasted a colt bullet on a cross-roads demon.

"And then I called again." I continued for him. He stared off into the distance and sighed.

"Then you called again. It was hard to believe you were real until that call. I knew what I had to say to get your attention but you hung up again and I couldn't take it anymore. I hated, HATED, the fact that I couldn't reach you. There was someone there stopping you and I couldn't do a single fucking thing about it." Again I noticed he didn't want to talk about how he trashed Ellen's house.

"If this is the punishment you wanted for me, it worked Lex, it worked perfectly. I know you were gone a month and I was gone four but if you felt half as shit as I felt, I understand why you're mad. I'm sorry I left and yes, now I know how it feels. Just promise you won't ever put me through that again."

I froze. What did he say? Punishment. I couldn't believe it.

"What punishment Dean? You think I left to _punish_ you? What kind of retard are you? I told you I left because I was given no other choice. You're making this real frustrating for me Dean because I don't know how many other ways I can put it before it makes sense to you. I had no other choice!" He spun around.

"Stop! Stop doing this to yourself! I'm trying here Lex, I really am but you got to work with me." I stopped. Now I was really confused. This conversation had gone from us discussing my absence to Dean thinking I left to 'punish' him to God knows what now. I slowed down as I tried to communicate with Dean.

"Dean, I have no idea what you're talking about." He clenched his teeth together.

"Sam and I talked last night." Well that wasn't a surprise to me at all. "We knew that you weren't coping well after we found out one of us was marked. With all that pressure to save the world and a lack of sleep, it's no surprise that hunters dive off the deep end." Well, yeah, that sure as hell surprised me.

"Are you calling me crazy?" I asked calmly. I was genuinely hurt that my brothers would think that. Dean looked at me unsurely, as if I was a ticking time-bomb.

"No" he answered very softly, "It's just that it seems out of character for you to run away from us, regardless of the reason, and you don't have any evidence to back your story." Evidence? My brothers were officially shit-heads.

"Evidence? I didn't think I needed evidence Dean! I thought my own brothers would believe me when I told them what happened!" I yelled at him.

"Listen," he tried to calm me down, "it took me a lot of convincing before I even considered that you might be…"

"What? Loco?" I huffed at him. He rolled his eyes at me.

"No, _unstable_, as Sam put it. You have a full blown out story but nothing to support that it actually happened-" I cut him off.

"IT HAPPENED!" he ignored my interruption.

"-so Sam suggested that you might have been taken by something and 'brainwashed' to believe the story you're telling us. We've come across many supernatural creatures that are capable of doing that."

"But who would do that Dean?"

"Look I don't know who, but it makes more sense than Uriel and Ruby working together. I don't trust either one of them, but they hate each other. Uriel thinks Ruby is filth and demons run in the opposite direction when they see an angel. But there are a million and one sons of bitches out there who'd like to get into our heads and be served Winchester secrets on a silver platter. Once I find out which asshole decided to snoop around in your brain, and believe me, when I find out who, they're going to wish they had choked on their own umbilical cord, then we'll know why." I stared at him in disbelief.

"Did Sam feed you all this bullshit?" Dean threw a disapproving glance my way.

"He has a point Lex."

"I have a point too. I wasn't probed on an alien operating table, I haven't been brainwashed and I certainly am NOT 'unstable'. I can prove it." I had caught Dean off guard, he was shocked that I had any evidence to offer.

"Yeah Dean, did either of you bother asking me if I had any proof or did you just both decide it was time to throw me into the padded room with a strait jacket?" To anyone else it would've been a joke but Dean knew too well that this wasn't.

"That's not what we're doing-"

"That's EXACTLY what you're doing. You want proof… fine. Let's call Uriel and Ruby. I guarantee that neither of them will have the balls to show up."

* * *

The four of us stood in Bobby's library with the sun blazing through the house. There was a beautiful summer breeze flowing through the open windows, but I didn't have time to focus on that. We were about to call Ruby and get some answers, answers which would declare me sane and condemn Ruby to a life of Sam and Dean's wrath. I was sitting on Bobby's desk with Sam and Dean standing on either side of me. Bobby stood at the entrance to the kitchen ready to close in on Ruby if need be. We were waiting for Sam to call her. The plan was to summon her, but not into a devil's trap. She had the option of fleeing but that wouldn't make her case. Sam started reading and I felt for my knife. I was going to prove that I wasn't crazy; I couldn't stand my brothers not having faith in me. Suddenly Dean's words last night had a different meaning.

_"I am never turning my back on you."_ Now that you're crazy…

Ruby materialized closer to Sam, who was on my right, but just outside the devil's trap. She watched us all with careful eyes. They finally rested on me.

"Ah, sister Winchester, it hasn't been the same without you." She smiled at me. I had expected to charge at her at least after a minute but I guess that was me being optimistic. My feet barely hit the floor but I was fast and dangerous, heading straight for Ruby. Sam and Dean were expecting it too. Sam stepped in front of me, blocking Ruby from my view and this bugged me a lot. Dean grabbed me from behind and pulled me closer to him and further from Ruby.

"Ooh, feisty." she peeked from behind Sam. "Why am I here?" I felt a growl building up in my chest. If she wanted to play innocent, I wasn't surprised. Who in their right mind would openly admit to taking advantage of and torturing one of Dean Winchester's younger siblings?

"You know exactly why you're here but let me tell you this, if you don't beat around the bush and just tell it like it is, we won't send your sorry ass back to hell." I growled. Of course I was lying. That didn't matter to me. Proving to Sam and Dean that I wasn't crazy and that I wasn't hallucinating is what was important.

Her facial expression grew confused and she stepped out from behind Sam. She looked at Dean, his face was set in stone, and then back to me.

"Do you mind telling me what it is that you _think_ I did which is so horrendous?" I took a deep breath as the image of her sticking that camera in my face flashed before my eyes.

"Fine, if you won't talk, I will. The day we were hunting that Jinn, you decided to pop by for a visit when I was in the Impala, alone. You told me that my blood was marked by Lilith and that the angels couldn't undo that because Lilith herself had marked me. You also said that I had a different 'set of instructions' that came with me because I wasn't brought into this world like everyone else. Ringing any bells?"

She looked at Sam with the same confused expression. Then her eyes turned to me, watching me like I was crazy.

"No Alexis, that didn't happen." Fine, she didn't want to talk. I still had a trick up my sleeve.

"Let me refresh your memory then. You went on to say that it wasn't safe for Sam to be near me when I was marked. Then you suggested I run away and kill myself so that Lilith wouldn't find Sam, and when she did find me, she couldn't torture his location out of me. Now do you remember?" My voice had risen slightly but only because she looked more and more confused as I spoke.

"Look, I don't know what kind of twisted game you Winchester's are playing but I didn't do any of that." She defended herself. I took a step closer to her and Dean followed suit.

"Really, you didn't convince me to leave my brothers?" I asked her.

"No." she replied.

"Why were we working together?" I didn't miss a beat.

"To help Sam get stronger so he could fight Lilith." She had no choice but to answer.

"Why did you show up at the house with the pizza?"

"I knew where Lilith was hiding out and I came to tell you!"

"Didn't you give me this bracelet so I could hide from angels?" I lifted my wrist up and jingled the charmed bracelet. Her eyes followed the bracelet. I could see Sam and Bobby waiting expectantly for her answer.

"NO! I've never seen that bracelet before!" she yelled at me. Her eyes darted around the room like she was a caged animal. I had to give it to her, she was a brilliant actress. I wasn't worried, she was still playing stupid but I'd get it out of her. Sam, Dean and Bobby didn't move at all, this was my fight. I stepped closer to Ruby, placed my hand over the hilt of my knife casually and started again.

"Weren't you working with Uriel the whole time?" she stared at me in horror and then turned to Sam. She was through reasoning with me.

"Sam, she's lost it. I didn't do anything, I swear! I would never work with an angel!" To my disappointment I saw Sam's gaze soften. It infuriated me further. I clicked my fingers at her to get her attention back on me.

"If you don't remember all that, then maybe you remember attacking me alongside Lilith?" I asked her angrily. Her eyes widened and for a moment I thought she had caved.

"I didn't-" she started. What? She was going to deny this too?

"And you filmed me you sadistic bitch!" I cut her off.

"I DIDN'T!" she screamed. "You and I have had our differences but I wouldn't do that. I'm on your side!" she turned to Sam. "Sam, I'm not working with Lilith and I didn't hurt you sister." I felt a tug at my heart when I saw the resolve in Sam's eyes. He believed her.

Fine, she hadn't admitted to anything yet but there was one thing she couldn't hide. I pulled out my knife and walked straight to Ruby. She was ready to fight me, or at least defend herself but she didn't stand a chance. Sam and Dean were both great fighters but they relied on their brute strength. I didn't have that kind of strength so my fighting skills and execution had to be perfect.

I punched her face before she could block and then snaked my right arm around the back of her neck and pulled her down so I could knee her in the stomach. Then I took her shoulders, kicked her backwards, and then landed a spinning heel on her face. She stumbled back into the devil's trap. My knife had nicked her in a few places but she was still fine.

I grabbed her right hand and started looking for a scar.

"Lex, what are you doing?" Sam was behind me.

"That night in the car, I didn't believe I was marked with Lilith's blood so Ruby cut my hand and let my blood drop on her. My blood was like acid to her, it went through her skin, bone and tissue so there should be a mark left behind." Ruby was still dazed after my attack but she tried to pull her hand away. I back-handed her and kept looking.

There wasn't a mark on the right hand so I grabbed the left one and started looking. Her hands were flawless. I was confused; there should have been a mark unless she had the ability as a demon to regenerate to a point of perfection. That was okay. I had one last thing that she couldn't escape from.

"Lex?" Bobby asked.

"I can't find the mark but it's okay. Let's see her explain herself out of this one." I took the knife and cut my palm. The blood oozed and I clenched my fist over her arm allowing a drop to fall on her skin.

Nothing happened, but I waited.

Then… still nothing happened.

I let another drop fall but it sat as still as the other drop. There was no sizzling, no breaking through skin or tissue, just my blood on Ruby's hand. Anger started bubbling within me. She had conned me. She had done something, either made herself immune or maybe my blood wasn't marked or acid-like in the first place. I placed the knife against her neck.

"What did you do?!" I screamed. She inched herself away from my knife. I didn't get a chance to do anything else because Sam took the knife out of my hand and Dean dragged me away from Ruby. Sam used my knife to break open the devil's trap and Ruby darted out and to the other side of the room, next to Bobby but far away from me.

Dean was restraining me in a one armed hug, with his arm resting on my collar bone but I let him. I was at a loss for words. I thought I'd get answers out of Ruby, something to prove I was telling the truth but she'd left me with nothing and even worse, now I seemed crazier.

Sam and Bobby were leading her towards the front door but she stopped and turned to Dean and I.

"I may not be an innocent, but I don't deserve to be treated like this." Her next words were aimed at Sam and Dean. "Find someone else to be your psycho sister's chew toy." Then she stormed off leaving Bobby and Sam in the kitchen. Bobby went to shut the door and Sam walked back into the library with his eyes on me. He wanted an explanation. I pulled away from Dean.

"Obviously she's lying Sam. Why would she admit to doing any of that?" I defended myself.

"And your blood?"

"I don't know how she did it, but I swear it burned right through last time." Sam nodded at me like that was the last straw. He was going to declare me insane.

"Lex-"

"No, wait. I know it looks bad," I turned to Dean, "but call Uriel, he'll tell you." Even if Uriel was working with Ruby, he wouldn't deny that he helped me. Admitting that didn't mean he was ever in alliance with Ruby so he could do that much for me. He didn't know I hated him. Sam and Dean looked unsure, almost like they didn't want to encourage my fantasy.

"Uriel!" I yelled to the ceiling. "I know you can hear me so why don't you come down here and grace us with your presence?" If they wouldn't call him, I would.

"Alexis." Uriel had appeared in front of us. He was still wearing the dark suit and he still had that expressionless face. I sighed in relief and went up to him.

"Please tell my brothers that you helped me." I begged. He looked at me.

"With what?" was his nonchalant response.

"With running away! With charming this bracelet so I'd have protection from Lilith!" I must have looked dangerous because he stepped back.

"Neither of those is true. I did not aid you in leaving nor did I charm that bracelet. Where have you been? I'd like to know who helped you shield yourself from Heaven." It took all it had in me not to throw a punch.

"You, you helped me and I wasn't shielded! Heaven was helping me… tell them the truth. I don't care whether you were working with Ruby or not, I just need you to tell them that you helped me run away and explain why I ran away." I pleaded with him. He looked to me and then to Dean.

"Does someone care to tell me what is happening to Alexis?" he ignored me completely. Sam stepped in.

"We think that whoever took her has made her believe that this story actually took place, probably so she couldn't tell us what really happened." He explained. On the plus side, Sam seemed very concerned about my health. On the other hand…

"How many times do I have to tell you I am NOT crazy!? Uriel you bastard! You took Castiel away because he was about to tell Dean my plan. You told me that I was a liability and so if I agreed to leave, you would help me with travel. And you did help me except then you left me in the care of Ruby and Lilith, which was a real dog-ass move by the way, but it happened. ADMIT IT!" he looked at me with disgust.

"Someone had better control her or I'll have to." He threatened calmly.

Dean was immediately by my side.

"You won't do a damn thing." He stared down Uriel.

Bobby cleared his throat at the other end of the room and got Uriel's attention. I went to lean against the desk in exhaustion with Dean beside me.

"If her mind has been played with, can you do something about it?" he asked somewhat politely.

"I can't know what to do unless I can assess the damage done. To do that, I'll have to scan her mind." Uriel informed us.

I panicked.

If Uriel got his hands near my head, he'd convince me that none of this happened and I couldn't allow that to happen.

"No." I responded but despite my protest, Uriel began walking towards me. Dean moved forward but he didn't get a chance to do anything because Sam stopped Uriel in his tracks.

"She said no." Sam said plainly. My brothers hadn't had a chance to use that line on any guys yet.

"Clearly there is something wrong with her. If someone doesn't figure out what going on in that mind, you have no idea how detrimental that could be for her." He argued. Sam looked to me and I shook my head. Sam didn't let him pass.

"Well, as long as you've established she's not in her right mind; that is the first step." He stated.

"I am in my right mind ass-hat." Dean smirked at my use of ass-hat.

"Well, seeing as you had to summon me, I believe you have no proof that your recalling of events is true." He added smugly. "Am I wrong?"

"I don't need your help in proving my case. I'll just call Castiel, Anna, Nathaniel or Micah. Any of them could vouch for me so why don't you call one of them down?" I asked him. I had a feeling that Ruby or Uriel would refuse to cooperate.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." He directed at me. His rejection of my idea gave me hope. Sam and Dean stood a little straighter, waiting for his excuse.

"Castiel is with Zachariah, we do not know where they are, nor is their location accessible to the rest of the angels and Anna has been off our radar since she turned on us." He explained. I had expected this as well.

"What about Nathaniel and Micah?" I asked. Uriel shook his head in pity.

"There are no angels of Heaven named Micah or Nathaniel." He answered plainly.

My heart sank. What had they done to them? Did Uriel kill them for helping me? I was hoping that they were in hiding but the glint in Uriel's eyes said something entirely different. My breathing pace increased and my brothers noticed. Either I was going to start crying or I was going to attack the wretched piece of crap that stood two feet away from me.

"It's time you leave." Sam moved to stand between us and Dean came to my side as I turned my back on Uriel. I was having trouble breathing and was on the verge of tears. I bent forward trying to control my breathing. What had my life turned to? When did I have to start convincing my own brothers I was telling the truth? The last month had been a dazed nightmare in so many ways and now there was nothing to prove it ever happened. My body felt weak and I was sure that I was hyperventilating.

"He's gone Lex." Sam informed me. Dean straightened me and tilted my head up so I was looking at him. I stared into his overly concerned eyes whilst remembering I had nothing to prove that the hell I lived through actually happened. The tears began flowing and Dean's eyebrows knitted together in pain. He pulled me into his embrace and I entwined my arms around him and clutched onto the back of his shirt. He kissed the top of my head and held me tight.

"It's okay ankle-biter" he whispered softly, "you're okay."

He just made me cry harder.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up, hopefully, in a weeks time. If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

Also, the next chapter is going to have a flashback with Dean's POV which will explain a few things so look forward to that. Let me know what you think about this whole 'mind-meddling' plot? There's a reason I have it in there but I'd love to hear your predictions.

Feel free to message me anytime :)

REVIEW BELOW xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	11. Chapter 11 - The Madness Continues

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! I loved writing this chapter. It was actually getting too long so I've split this chapter in half and will upload the next chapter in a few days (before the weekend). So because I split this chapter into two, the flashback is in the next chapter but Dean's POV starts in this one.

I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, sammygrrl00, GallagherBlackthorneZammie and cheekiimonkeii2! It really means the world to me when I get feedback about my writing. Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Again I'd like to direct newcomers to Alexis Winchester Story written by sammygrrl00 - my inspiration - keep an eye out, there may be an update soon :D

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 11 – The Madness Continues**

I pushed myself away from Dean and he loosened his grip in confusion.

"You're supposed to believe me regardless… both of you." I fumed. "I am your sister, I've grown up with you and nobody in the world knows me better. Can't you tell that I'm telling the truth?!" I questioned through my tears.

They watched me helplessly back away from them.

"I told you that Ruby and Uriel… both of them are lying, believe me, they ARE lying." I cried. Sam stepped forward in an attempt to calm me down.

"Hey, hey," he placed his hand on my shoulder, "We don't think you're lying Lex, we think that some son of a bitch out there has tampered with your mind. We know you wouldn't lie to us, but we can't take your word until we're sure you're okay." He explained.

"And what makes you think I'm not okay?" I demanded. I knew I sounded rude, it wasn't intentional but I was emotional. Sam glanced at Dean, who responded with a curt nod.

"Well, firstly you seem lethargic, more than a hunter usually is but we could pass that off as exhaustion from yesterday. What makes us more concerned is what we saw this morning." Sam said softly. I waited for an explanation. "Come here, we want to show you something." Sam led me to the mirror next to Dean and turned me around so my back was to it. He gently lifted my top so that my lower back was exposed. My eyes widened and I gasped in horror.

My lower back was a dark green-black. I pulled my top even further up past my bra and my breath left me. My whole back was horribly and disgustingly bruised. It started from above my hips and travelled up to under my shoulders. I pressed on the bruise and I felt a sharp pain. How on earth had I missed this? The better question was where did I get this from? I racked my brain for a legible explanation.

Anna had looked me over after Ruby and Lilith had attacked so it couldn't have been them. Maybe I got it after I was flung out of the house, but the bruise was huge. Even if I had fallen straight on my back, the bruise wouldn't look like this. There'd be patches and lumps but the atrocity on my back was a sheet of bruised skin.

I turned around and looked at the bruise that Dean had discovered this morning. It was the same color. I noticed darkness near my arms and was even more shocked to see bruises on my inner upper arm. Now I was getting anxious. I tried desperately to remember where I could have possibly gotten the bruises. Why didn't I remember? What was happening to me?

"Sam," I whispered, "I don't remember getting these." I turned around so I could see my back again. "Where did I get them from?"

Dean answered instead.

"We don't know. You almost gave me a heart attack this morning when I came back into the room to see you lying tangled in the sheets with that on your back." He pointed to the bruise. On closer inspection I could see Dean had put bruising gel on my other bruises as well. "I wasn't expecting it; you told me you were fine when I found you." He added.

"I… I thought I was fine too!" I stammered.

"Well that's what concerns us." Sam pointed out.

That's why they were acting so weird. I would have done the same. If you don't remember a smaller bruise, it's generally okay, it happens all the time when you fight. Two days later when you reach into the fridge for a beer, or in my case milk to make hot chocolate, that's when you feel the sting. But it is a completely different story if the bruise is the size of your back. You should feel that the second it happens and it should worsen over the next couple of days. Even more disturbing, you should definitely remember how you got it. I guess I was so angry I didn't even feel it pull when I kicked Ruby in the head.

"It makes us think that something took you and the story you're telling is a cover up as to what actually happened." Sam reasoned. Before now I'd have an argument but after seeing the bruise, which I had no recollection of, I thought twice. How unbelievable was my story in reality? Had I really done everything I did? I remembered asking myself the same question when Dean had reassured me that's he'd tear the world in two if anyone tried to hurt me. I was unsure of what I had done then as well. Was that my real memory trying to break free of an illusion placed in my mind by my kidnapper?

It could make sense. I was distraught that night when Dean left after our fight. I remembered him not reminding me to check the salt lines. In that state I could have easily missed a window, broken a line or even drawn a symbol incorrectly. It wouldn't have been difficult for a demon to sneak in and capture me; I would have barely seen them through my tears. The whole month could have been a lie.

My confusion was growing deeper and the horror was setting in. If that was the case, was any of this true? Or was I sitting in an abandoned warehouse doped up on so many drugs that I couldn't even comprehend what was reality? What had taken me? Were they in this reality? Maybe they were pretending to be my friends… my brothers.

No, Sam and Dean were too real in this world. I had felt their warmth when I was enveloped in their arms. Nobody could mimic Sam or Dean. They knew me too well… or did they? Here they were, not believing a word of what I was saying, my brothers wouldn't do that. But if they weren't my brothers, why would they persuade me to believe I was kidnapped if I was actually kidnapped? Maybe they were a projection of my conscious, warning me to wake up.

My world went hazy and wobbled slightly as I looked up at them. Their expressions looked so real. Their mouths began moving but I couldn't hear what they were saying, everything was moving very slowly. They looked at each other in concern and then back at me. Dean began moving towards me but suddenly my world clicked back to a normal pace and I stepped away from him.

"Lex, what's wrong?" he asked, one arm reaching out to me. I flinched away and Dean was taken aback. Did my kidnappers figure out I was onto them… was that why Dean was taken aback? He took a step closer and I took two steps back.

"Stay away from me." I warned.

"Lex." He breathed in confusion. I put my hand out, warning him not to move closer. If this was the devil playing tricks with me… the devil was a bitch.

"Stay the hell away from me." I spat at the Dean imposter. I backed out of the library whilst my 'brothers' and 'Bobby' watched me in bewilderment. I ran up the stairs in record time. I could have run out the front door but I trusted the virtual sigils and demon protection provided by 'Bobby's' house. With my door barred shut and a gun in my hand I felt safer. Someone followed me up; by the footsteps I'd guess 'Sam', to confirm if I was still there. My rude response was enough for him to reassure 'Dean' that I wasn't going anywhere.

If this was all really in my head, I needed to figure out when it had started. When was the last time I really remembered an event occurring in my life? I pondered the thought as I salted my room. I remembered driving the Impala and stopping at the motel where I met that woman… what was her name? Ellen? No, Helen. The first surreal memory was after Ruby's rude visit in the car. My blood destroying her hand seemed surreal, her proposition seemed surreal and the bracelet seemed surreal. I lifted my right arm up and jingled it in front of my face. She had said it would hide me from angels. Uriel had then changed it so it would protect me from Lilith.

Then it hit me.

The bracelet.

I was wearing it when Anna and Castiel found me… which meant it didn't hide me from the angels. They found me in an instance, rendering the bracelet useless. I knew Uriel had also charmed the bracelet but I also knew that an angel couldn't undo a charm meant to ward it off. If it really was meant to hide me from angels, Uriel shouldn't have even been able to touch it. But he was able to, which meant Ruby never had it charmed.

At the same time, when Uriel charmed the bracelet, it was so that Lilith couldn't hurt me but I remember her clearly trying to pull my heart out. The bracelet didn't even protect me from Lilith. So then what was it for?

My mind flashed back to a conversation I had with Sam when I was ten.

* * *

_I had just finished writing in my journal and was about to practice some yoga. It was odd for a child my age but I had always been intelligent and more mature than kids my own age. I had read that yoga was brilliant for self-preservation and it was helping me with posture and flexibility so it became a habit of mine. I had convinced Sam to join me so we were in our shorts, stretching on the floor._

_"Sam?"_

_"Yeah." He focused on touching his right toe._

_"We're practicing yoga to balance ourselves right?"_

_"Mm-hm." He hadn't touched the toe yet and was a good three inches from it._

_"And the world needs balance too, right?"_

_"Uh-huh." He croaked as he reached further. I tapped his left leg._

_"If you fold this in, you'll touch it." He glanced at me and then followed my lead. Sure enough he just touched the tip of his big toe._

_"Genius." He murmured._

_"So how does the world balance itself? Not literally in space, I know how the sun keeps it in orbit, but inner balance?" Sam stopped stretching and reached for my journal. He ripped out a page at the back and drew a horizontal line in the middle. In the middle of the line he drew a smaller vertical line. It looked like a timeline._

_He pointed to the vertical line._

_"This is neutral." I nodded. "To the right you have positive and to the left you have negative. In the world, when a person's bad actions outweigh their good actions, you put them on the left side and vice versa. How far they're placed from neutral depends on how much these actions outweigh the other. Generally it looks like this."_

_He drew a tiny dash on the far left and increased the size of the dash until the dash was the height of the page at neutral. Then he continued to the right, decreasing the length of the dash until he got to the far right where it was again, tiny._

_"So there are very few people who are really bad and very few people who are really good?" I asked for confirmation. He nodded in approval._

_"We go under the assumption-" _

_"Don't know 'assumption' yet."_

_"Okay, we _believe_ that someone on the far left, if combined with someone on the far right will cancel each other's actions out and return to neutral. That's how the world balances itself. For every bad person out there, there's someone good." I stared at the paper._

_"But Sam," I colored the left side of his graph red and the right side blue. "If you add this much red to this much blue, shouldn't you get a huge page of purple?" he smiled at me._

_"I don't understand it yet, but one day you'll publish that and it'll become a scientific theory."_

_"You think?" I asked hopefully._

_"Absolutely. You are one of the smartest people I know and luckily for you, you use your knowledge for good. You are all the way over here." He pointed to the tiny dash on the right, ran his finger off the page and simply pointed right._

_"Woah. Sam, that's far." I breathed in awe._

_"You bet it is, now teach me some yoga."_

* * *

So what if Uriel and Ruby had made the purple I was referring to. What if there was a charm or spell which needed a huge amount of good and bad power to work. Ruby had delivered the first half and I had literally given the bracelet to Uriel to finish off the second half. Together, who knew what they had done to the bracelet. They had been working against me, so it was very likely that the silver jewelry on my wrist was my doom.

As soon as the thought had come to my mind, my eyes drooped. I fought to keep myself alert. Is that what it was doing, messing with my rationality and forcing waves of fatigue? I had been overly emotional ever since I got the bracelet and Sam had been right, I was very tired. Had the bracelet given me the bruise as well?

I didn't know if it had but one thing was for sure, I had to get the bloody thing off me. I looked for a clasp and couldn't find one. I searched once more before I tried to squeeze my hand out but it wouldn't budge. I tried to bend the metal so it would break but the stupid thing was much stronger than I remember it ever being. I had to get it off, before it made me lose my mind or do something stupid.

If it was the bracelet, then I had to assume Sam and Dean were in fact, Sam and Dean. I needed their help. I rushed to the door and swung it open only to stop in my tracks. It was the one person in the world who I hated seeing pop up in places she didn't belong.

Ruby.

But it was worse. Unconscious and leaning limply on her was a woman, a woman with a familiar face. Ruby had a knife to her neck and was grinning at me. I was frozen, unable to think clearly. The woman's eyes fluttered and then I remembered who she was.

Mandy; she was the woman at the playground with the young son. I had pretended to be pregnant, we had spoken about the disappearances and she had left me feeling guilty because she didn't have the money to leave town. I had promised myself I would help her.

I lifted my hand in defense and in an attempt to begin reasoning with Ruby but before I could even do that, Ruby slit Mandy's throat and the poor woman began choking on her own blood. I screamed in horror and rushed towards them but Ruby vanished with Mandy in an instant, but not before I saw Mandy's eye's roll back into her head.

She was dead.

I screamed bloody murder.

* * *

I felt like the blood was on me but there was nothing there. I gasped and choked on my sobs as I spun in circles in the hallway, defending myself from the absent Ruby. I slashed at my own shadow and punched the wall.

"RUBY! Bring her back Ruby, she didn't do anything wrong!" I sobbed. I leaned against the wall and sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face.

"RUBY! PLEASE!" I yelled in agony, "Please tell me it was a joke. She didn't know me, it's not her fault. BRING HER BACK!" I screamed. Thudding footsteps rushed up the stairs and surrounded me.

"Alexis!" Dean ran straight to me while Sam and Bobby searched upstairs. I clutched his arms and sobbed.

"Dean, tell her to stop. Tell Ruby to bring her back Dean, it wasn't her fault." He wiped my wet face.

"Who Alexis? Bring who back? What happened?" he asked frantically as his eyes searched my face for injuries.

"Mandy, she killed Mandy." I cried. "She was innocent Dean," I tilted my head up to the ceiling. "SHE WAS INNOCENT RUBY! You said you were on our side! Why did you kill her? She has a little boy; he needs him mom! He needs his mom, so you bring her back! If you want to hurt me then FUCKING HURT ME. What did she ever do to you? Her son needs her-" I sobbed uncontrollably. "Her son needs her."

My watery eyes drooped and something told me to fight it but I couldn't. I wasn't that strong so I let it take over.

* * *

**Dean**

_"Stay away from me."_

She had said it before. It tore me apart then and it tore me apart now. I watched her retreat to the stairs like a scared animal, her eyes wide open. What was going on with her? God I wish I knew. It was killing me that I didn't know how to help her. I stood frozen as she ran up the stairs.

"I hate to say it boys, but she's not getting any better." Bobby stated from his corner. I clenched my teeth in anger. I didn't need someone to tell me that my little sister was clearly not coping. Sam walked up to me and I secretly thanked the angels that his telepathic crap hadn't hit the fan. I'd try but I doubted I could deal with both their emotional problems at once. Even so, Sam had a hold on his powers. Alexis on the other hand; something else was pulling the strings.

"I'll check she's not making an escape." He moved past me and jogged up the stairs. Any other day I would tell him to shut it because our sister would never do that, but not today. Today I had no idea what Lex was capable of.

I heard her yell something at Sam and by the sounds of it, she learnt it from me.

"She's not going anywhere." Sam called down. I turned to Bobby and he just gave me a helpless look in return.

"How do I make it stop Bobby?" The look on his face told me I wouldn't like the answer.

"For the time being, we should treat this is a detox and keep her in the panic room. No one can hurt her in there and she can't hurt anyone else." He was right; I didn't like it at all.

"Bobby's right Dean. Until we can figure out what is going on, she'll be safe in there." I stayed silent. Bobby looked to Sam who walked in from the stairs.

"I'll go get the room ready. You think the two of you could bring her down?"

"Yeah Bobby, sure." Sam answered for the both of us. Bobby left and Sam came up to me.

"She's probably just in shock Dean. Any of us would be too if we saw that bruise and didn't remember where it came from. Once she's in the room we'll figure out who's messing with her mind and she'll be back to herself in no time." He reassured me. I stared ahead in silence. "She's still in there Dean."

"She doesn't trust me Sam." I whispered. He was silent.

"She does… otherwise… she would have shot you."

It was the one thing that Sam had said today that made me feel a little more at ease. Alexis was very cautious around people she didn't trust. She had pulled her gun on me when I came back from the pit but not today. It was small… but it was hope that my sister was still in there somewhere.

We walked down to basement to help Bobby remove some of the things in the panic room which Lex could use as a weapon. Anything sharp or mildly destructive had to go. I brought some of my books down to the room as well. I didn't want Lex to stay here by herself and more importantly I knew Lex wouldn't want to be trapped in this room alone.

It was a quick process, there wasn't too much in the room to begin with but just as we finished moving the second desk out we heard Lex scream.

My heart dropped.

I grabbed my gun and started running up the stairs with Sam and Bobby close behind. Before we reached the basement door she screamed again but this time it was horrific. And it didn't stop.

My heart clenched in fear. Please let her be alright.

_"RUBY! Bring her back Ruby, she didn't do anything wrong!"_

Ruby? I was going to kill that bitch. I flew to the top of the stairs ready to charge at whatever was up here. Instead I saw Alexis crouched against the wall screaming.

_"RUBY! PLEASE! Please tell me it was a joke. She didn't know me, it's not her fault. BRING HER BACK!"_

I rushed to her as Sam and Bobby checked for an intruder.

"Alexis!" I pulled her to me and I was a little relieved. She was here with me and here I could protect her. She clung to me like when she was a child. Tears were streaming down her face.

"Dean, tell her to stop. Tell Ruby to bring her back Dean, it wasn't her fault." She begged me. I held her head between my hands and wiped her tears. I tried desperately to keep her eyes on me while I looked for injuries.

"Who Alexis? Bring who back? What happened?"

Why did she scream? Why was she crying? Who hurt her? I needed to know.

"Mandy, she killed Mandy." she cried. "She was innocent Dean,"

Who the hell was Mandy? And why did Ruby kill her? Or was this just Lex's mind acting up again.

She looked up the ceiling as if she was screaming at the sky.

"SHE WAS INNOCENT RUBY! You said you were on our side! Why did you kill her? She has a little boy; he needs him mom!" she sobbed heavily. She hit the back of her head against the wall.

"He needs his mom, so you bring her back! If you want to hurt me then FUCKING HURT ME. What did she ever do to you? Her son needs her-" she sobbed. "Her son needs her."

Lex's eyes closed and I pulled her into my lap. I shook her face but her eyes wouldn't open.

"Lex?" I pulled her closer. "Alexis! Damn it, open your eyes." I felt for a pulse, it was still there. I was about to run her into the bathroom and put her in the shower but her hand clutched my t-shirt and she leaned her head on my shoulder. She was sleeping but she was alright.

* * *

I brought Lex carefully down the stairs and to the basement. I was used to it. Lex had the ability to fall asleep anywhere, as long as either Sam or I were there with her. Bobby opened the door to the panic room and I placed Lex gently on to the bed. I went to shut the door but I hadn't noticed she was still holding on to my t-shirt. She pulled me back to her in her sleep. I took her hands in mine and softly loosened her fingers.

She frowned the whole time and I smiled. It reminded me of when she was young and I taught her how to ride a bike. One hand was on the handle and the other gripping my jacket. I had to run alongside her bike because she got very angry when I asked her to let go of me.

"How is she now?" Sam asked from the door. I walked over to him so we could whisper and not wake her up.

"She's alright. I have everything I need down here. Just bring me down a mattress and sheets later. Got your cell?" I asked him. Sam nodded.

"I'll be down every half an hour, call me if I'm not." He turned to leave but stopped. "Dean, she'll be safe down here. You can come up every now and then." He offered me.

"No thanks Sammy, I'm staying put." There was no hate in his eyes. I wasn't choosing Alexis over him; I was taking care of our younger sister. He nodded and left after locking the door.

I went to sit on the floor by Lex's head and leaned my own head against the bed. I needed her to see me when she woke up so she wouldn't panic.

My sister was a lethal weapon but a gentle child. Rooms like this scared her. Being alone scared her. Sam had never known but I figured that out the hard way back when Dad died. I had almost lost Alexis then and I was never going to let that happen again.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The Bracelet! Unfortunately no one picked up on the bracelet but the twists aren't over yet :)

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up in the next couple of days. If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

Also, I promise the next chapter is going to have a flashback with Dean's POV which will explain a few things so look forward to that. As you could probably tell, I left the end of this chapter as an opening to the flashback which is in season 2!

A few things;

- I am also working on a few one-shots from previous seasons so please let me know if you'd like me to write a particular episode. I've already got a list of my favorites, I'll just add yours as well. Two I am certain of will be The Benders and Prison Blues.

- The next few chapters of season 4 will be monster episodes before we reach the season finale! I'm planning on writing Family Remains and After School Special but again, please let me know which other ones you'd like me to write.

I am waiting for your suggestions :P

Feel free to message me anytime :)

Send some love guys... I'm on holidays and I actually have the time to stare at my inbox waiting for reviews. I never knew how addicting receiving reviews could be - it's unhealthy. (But I love it)

REVIEW BELOW xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	12. Chapter 12 - The Padded Room

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! I'm so sorry about the delay (_the chapter is much longer than usual though)_. I realize I said I would post before the weekend but I had a few hiccups along the way. The first being I went on vacation and the second being the chapter itself. I must have re-written this chapter three times, it just wasn't working well and after spending so long on it, I don't even know if it works but I'm posting this anyway.

It was a difficult chapter to write because I had so much to get through and few knots to work out but I wanted all of it addressed in this chapter so I spent a long time structuring it.

I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, Cinderbunp, EpicSwaging, sammygrrl00, Sara B. and Anonymous. A big thanks also to cheekiimonkeii2 for her continued support! It really means the world to me when I get feedback about my writing. Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

**Btw. Sara.B and anonymous - **make an account so I can properly reply to your reviews! Join us :P

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 12 – The Padded Room**

I sat beside Alexis for a while in case she woke up. Once I was convinced she was deep in sleep I got up to grab a few books. My movements must have woken her up because before I knew it, she was up. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out where she was and in panic she got out of the bed and went straight to the door. She mustn't have seen me because the first name she called was mine.

"Dean! Sam!" she slammed her hands on the door. "Dean!" she was on her toes so she could peek through the window on the door. It took me a while to snap out of my thoughts and attend to Lex.

"Lex." I called her softly.

Her head whipped around and she calmed down when she saw me. I would never grow tired of that. Then she looked around the room and figured out where we were.

"Why are we in Bobby's panic room?" her confidence returned. I wasn't sure how much she remembered but I didn't want her to get upset about whoever 'Mandy' was again.

"We thought it would be safer for you down here. How are you feeling?" I asked cautiously. She subconsciously moved closer.

"Mostly confused." She paused, "I had to tell you something." I waited for her to continue but she didn't.

"I'm listening kiddo." I wanted to walk over to her but I didn't want her to get defensive like she had before.

"I… I don't remember." She was holding onto her hoodie sleeve and her eyebrows knitted together.

"That's okay. Why don't you try and get some more shut eye?" I suggested. Her attention moved back to me and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, okay." She was silent again. I didn't like it, she seemed unsure of what was going on around her. This wasn't what she was like. I walked to her bed and pulled the sheets back, waiting for her to get in. She walked over but before she sat down she looked to me.

"You'll stay with me, right?" Fear filled her eyes and I cringed inside. I knew she'd feel this way but it didn't make it any easier.

"Yeah, I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere. You just try and relax. Sam and I have everything covered." I reassured her. I needed her to be comfortable otherwise she'd regress. She put her head on the pillow and I pulled the sheets up. I went to sit on the floor again in front of her so she could see me. She shut her eyes.

We had been down this road before.

Alexis was scared shitless of enclosed spaces and she was terrified of being alone. Something similar had happened two years ago after our car accident.

After the accident and dad's death we were all beaten up but after I was healed, which we later found out was because dad traded in the colt and his soul for my life, Alexis was the only one of us who needed to be kept overnight under observation. At least that's what the doctor told me.

If Lex had wanted, I could have broken her out of the hospital but she had been adamant that we cremate Dad as soon as possible, with or without her. Honestly, we thought she didn't want to watch his body burn so we left her in the hospital overnight.

I should have taken her with me.

Sam and I came back to the hospital in the morning to find Alexis' room empty.

* * *

"What the hell?" I walked further into the room looking for any of our belongings but the room was bare. Sam stepped out and checked the room number; it was the same place we had left her last night.

"Maybe they transferred her to another room. Come on." Sam led the way to the receptionist on our floor. She was a tall attractive blonde who any other day would have been my potential stress relief. Not today.

"Hello. Can I help you?" she smiled at Sam and sat a little straighter. The only other person behind the desk was a brunette doctor who had her head buried in a green file. She had a laminate badge which read CPS.

"Hi, we're looking for out sister, Alexis McGillicutty. She was in room 32B last night but now it's empty. Did you guys transfer her?" he asked.

"Just a moment, let me see where she is." the blonde blushed and started typing away. I needed her to speed up. I wanted to get Alexis and get the hell out of here.

The brunette looked up and walked towards us.

"McGillicutty?" she asked. Sam met her gaze.

"Yeah, that's us." He replied. She smiled and placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"It's okay Cindy, I'll handle this." I looked to Sam in confusion. What kind of shit did we get mixed up in now?

"Could you boys please follow me?" She didn't wait for a response but simply led us down the hall and to a small room. We followed her in to meet Alexis' doctor and a hospital security guard.

Sam's expression mirrored mine, fear. Was Lex alright? The brunette led us to our seats and sat on the opposite side of the desk.

"What's up doc? Is everything okay with Alexis?" I wanted to get straight to it. The brunette spoke instead.

"Alexis is fine. My name is Jennifer and you probably already know Alexis' doctor, Dr. Shay. We'd like to ask you a few questions regarding your sister and her health." Sam took the wheel on this one.

"Why? What's your qualification?" he demanded. She smiled and opened her green file in front of her.

"I'm a Child Protective Services Officer." She tapped her badge. Child Protective Services? What did that have to do with Alexis?

"Alexis is an adult." Sam stated, just as confused as I was.

"Listen boys, I'm going to ask you a few questions and I'd really appreciate it if you would just answer them. They're very basic and it's simple procedure."

"I'd like to see Lex first." I retorted. She was a priority. This was not.

"You'll see your sister soon, if you answer our questions."

Like _hell_ she was going to keep us from Lex. Sam put a restraining hand on my arm, stopping me from getting up and pounding the bitch's face in.

"Go ahead." he said warily. I glared at him but kept my mouth shut.

"What are your names?"

"Dean McGillicutty." I answered with ease.

"Sam McGillicutty." Sam followed suit. She watched us with curious eyes.

"So, Sam and Dean, are you sure your last name isn't Winchester?" My eyes faltered and she picked up on it. How on earth did she know? The last thing I needed right now was our insurance to fuck up and put our identities on the line.

"That's what I thought. So I'm guessing your sister is Alexis Winchester, right?"

"What is this about?" Sam questioned. She ignored him.

"What is your relationship with Alexis Winchester?" she smiled again and it was beginning to piss me off.

"We're her brothers." I answered. She nodded.

"Okay, let me tell you what the problem is. You boys have already lied about your identity; you've provided us with a false insurance and your medical records are concerning. In your general information we see that you haven't listed a permanent residence and you don't have a listed occupation. So you can see why we might be concerned."

I didn't see how this was a problem but Sam's face showed he understood where this was going… and he didn't like it.

"We travel all over the country, our address changes and our jobs change. If there's something wrong with the insurance we'll get it fixed but why is this any of your business?" I asked. She sighed.

"We don't care about your insurance Mr. Winchester; it's our business if you force this unorthodox lifestyle on your teenage sister. We're here for her protection." Force this lifestyle on Alexis? This woman clearly didn't know Alexis. Even if we weren't born into hunting, I had a feeling that Lex would still be doing something pretty damn similar to what we do.

"Alexis doesn't have a problem with our lifestyle and even if she did, I still don't understand why you're scratching your head over it. Alexis is an adult and your organization is for children." Sam was right, why were these guys involved?

"Given your previous answers to our questions, you can understand why we may have a problem with believing your sister is nineteen years old." She smiled again with a knowing look. What was she on about? Did she think we were lying about Alexis' age? What good would that do?

"What are you implying?" Sam asked.

She glanced at Dr. Shay and then looked back at us.

"It has come to our attention that Alexis Winchester is a minor. The hospital believes that she is forcibly being dragged around the country by her older brothers, who may or may not be abusive, and due to her secluded lifestyle; she now believes she must continue to live the way she was raised. At least that is what is written here in the official statement."

There was silence. I stared at Jennifer and I didn't know what Sam was doing but his heavy breathing gave off the impression he was just as mad as I was.

I didn't care if she was a woman. I was going to kill her regardless. I stood up and so did Sam but he didn't stop me.

"Alright, listen here lady, I don't know what you're on about but let me tell you this. Alexis is our little sister and she means more to us than you'd ever know. We'd _never_ hurt her. So you can take that 'abusive brother' shit and shove it where the sun don't shine. Now take me to my sister or you're going to have more trouble on your hands than you bargained for." I spat in anger.

She pulled out some photos from her green file and slid them over to us. They were pictures of bruised and cut skin. I looked a little closer. They were Alexis' bruises and cuts from previous hunts. Of course we'd recognize them; we were the ones who'd patch her up afterwards.

"You're sister's injuries from the car crash are contained to the right side of her body. They include her crushed shoulder, her injured knee, her injured thigh and any bruises and cuts around these areas. However these injuries," she pointed to the photos, "are much older and are delivered through physical abuse, generally domestic. These injuries prompted the hospital to contact CPS."

"We have never laid a hand on our sister. Ask her yourself. And while you're at it, ask her how old she is, since you don't believe us." Sam retaliated.

Didn't they think to ask Alexis? She'd defend us in a heartbeat. Jennifer looked back to Dr. Shay again. This time Dr. Shay stepped forward and went to the computer.

"Unfortunately when we asked your sister the same questions, she responded in an unappealing manner. Due to her somewhat violent response, we had to relocate her to a room better suited for her needs. We believe that due to the lifestyle you've provided for her, she's fooled herself into thinking your actions are the norm of society. When we told her otherwise she became delirious and unfortunately we needed to medicate her so that she would calm down." She turned the screen around. We both reluctantly leaned forward.

It was security footage of a padded room. There was one person sitting in the back corner wearing a strait jacket.

It was Alexis.

* * *

It took all I had in me not to reach out and pop a bullet in that doctor's skull.

"Get her out of there." I gritted my teeth. Sam on the other hand had less self-control at that moment.

"You have NO right to put her in there!" he yelled. Dr. Shay typed something else and brought up another video. This time it was security footage of Alexis' hospital room from late last night.

Dr. Shay and Jennifer were both there talking to her. Suddenly Alexis sat up in her bed and pointed at the doctor in anger. They said something else and Alexis leaped out of bed at Jennifer almost delivering a punch to the doctor, but her crushed shoulder restrained her. She was yelling at them. I'd give her an eight for execution and an eleven for effort.

"This was taken last night when we confronted her. We wouldn't have put her in the room if she hadn't attacked us."

It didn't make sense, there was no way they could've forced Alexis into a padded room. We had trained Alexis to be better than us with evasive fighting techniques. She didn't have our strength so she needed her fighting skills to be perfect to even the playing field. Knowing Lex, she would have jumped out the window before they got their hands on her.

The video kept playing and showed two security guards rush in and hold Lex down. She didn't calm down, still intent on attacking the bitch Jennifer. She was in the process of escaping when Dr. Shay decided to do something stupid enough to make me want to send her ass to hell.

I watched the doctor pull out a needle and jab it straight into Lex's neck.

Fuck the fact that Dr. Shay was a woman. Fighting a woman hadn't stopped me from looking after Sam or Lex before and it wasn't going to stop me now.

I grabbed her by her coat and slammed her against the wall.

"You're a fucking bitch. I don't give a shit what you think, you tell me WHERE THE FUCK my sister is or you're going to wish you'd never crossed paths with me." The security guard was rushing to the doctor's aid but Sam knocked him out cold. Dr. Shay was frozen in fear and Jennifer was backed up in a corner. I slammed her against the wall again.

"Where is she?" I bellowed at her. She shut her eyes in fear.

"She's two floors up in the psychiatric ward." Jennifer blurted out from the corner. Professional my ass, she was all talk. I dropped Dr. Shay on the floor and left.

I couldn't believe that they thought Sam and I would ever hurt Alexis. I couldn't believe they didn't believe Lex was nineteen. I _really_ couldn't believe they had the guts to drug my baby sister and throw her in a padded room. I didn't care who got in my way. My dad had died just yesterday, I wasn't going to let shit happen to my little sister and anyone who thought otherwise had another thing coming.

"Can they even do this?" I asked Sam in the elevator. He was fuming.

"Apparently they can." He replied.

"I'm going to kill them Sam."

"There's nothing supernatural about them. They're just plain dickheads." He retorted. He had a point, but it seemed irrelevant. We got off on the psychiatric floor and rushed to the desk.

"Alexis Winchester." Sam told the receptionist. The lady raised an eyebrow at us.

"And you are?"

"We're family." Sam stated.

"Unfortunately, I've been instructed that Alexis Winchester is to have no visitors unless first approved by Dr. Shay." I looked to Sam.

"We've been approved, so why don't you tell us where our sister is." I shot back. She smiled at us.

"Look, I understand you must want to see her-"

"I'll look for her." I cut her off and walked away. I didn't have time for anyone's bullshit. I needed to make sure Lex was alright.

"Sir, please." She began to follow but Sam stopped her in her path. All the rooms here were normal hospital rooms except the beds had restraints. I was looking for a padded room. I'd watched enough movies to know what happened to new, female psych patients.

I ran down to the end of the hall and followed the bend to a large window looking into a room. It was Lex's room.

She wasn't alone. There were three wardens and a nurse in there with her. I stopped, confused as to why she was curled up. From here she seemed alright. She wasn't bleeding, her arms and legs were working but I had to see her face to really know if she was okay.

The nurse had a kit with her, from where she pulled out a red pill and a bottle of water. I grew concerned when the wardens closed in on her so I knocked on the glass, trying to get their attention. I was here now, I'd straighten everything out and they'd let Lex go. Not one person looked at me. The room must have been sound proof.

"Hold her down, keep her mouth open." The nurse sneered at the wardens. They couldn't hear me but I guess I could hear them through the speakers. I hit the glass again trying to get their attention. I looked for a door but couldn't see any on my side.

The wardens reached out for Lex and she shrunk further into the corner. I watched in confusion. What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she fighting back? One of the wardens, a tall man with blonde hair, grabbed for her shoulders but Lex kicked of the corner and slid along the wall away from them. She was just inches away from the glass.

I moved closer to her and hit the glass again.

"Lex, hey, we're here. We're going to get you out okay." I said to her through the glass. Even if she didn't hear me, at least she would see me. She lifted her head and I stepped back in shock. Lex's face was bruised in every which way. She had tears streaming down her face; tears she couldn't wipe because her arms were restrained in the strait jacket. She took a deep breath away from the wall and looked helplessly out the window, straight past me. She couldn't see me, the window was one way.

Suddenly Lex's face contorted in pain and she was pulled back by her hair. Anger flooded through me and I slammed the glass.

"Hey! HEY! Let her go! Get your hands off her!" I slammed the glass in fury but they didn't hear me. The blonde warden shoved Lex on her knees and sat on her calves, keeping her down. Then he laced his hands around her neck and pulled her back so her face was exposed. She looked tiny in comparison. I looked frantically for a door but still couldn't find one along the corridor.

The other warden grabbed Lex's bruised cheeks and pushed them together.

"I'm sorry. Please stop. I won't hurt anyone, please, please, please." My head whipped back to the glass. Lex was whimpering in the warden's hold.

"Shut your pretty little face bitch, or I'll shut it with something else." He grunted in her ear.

I was going to kill him first.

The one holding her face pulled her head closer to him.

"We left you alone last night but maybe we'll come and visit tonight. Teach bitches like you a lesson about the chain of command around here."

I saw red flash before my eyes. I'd kill them after I castrated them.

The nurse popped the pill in Lex's mouth and then drowned Lex's face in water. Lex was gagging under the constant stream but the heartless bitch didn't stop. I was screaming Lex's name but I couldn't hear myself. My body felt hot, my hands didn't feel pain as I slammed them repeatedly against the glass.

The third warden suddenly turned around and opened the door. He walked out and I saw him emerge down the hall. I didn't wait.

Before I knew it I was in the padded room. I grabbed the nurse from behind and threw her out of my way against the glass. She crumpled to the floor. Next I punched the warden holding Lex's face. He had just turned around after the nurse screamed. He fell unconscious to the floor. The blonde warden shoved Lex against the wall and came at me. It took a simple kick in the chest to put him down. I wanted to keep going but I heard a small whimper from the corner.

Alexis.

I was on the floor in second.

"Lex. Baby I'm sorry." I began to move closer but she jerked back. I froze. "Lex? It's me. You're okay ankle-biter, nobody's going to hurt you." Her head was buried in her shoulder and her body was turning away from me. I tried again but she jerked further away from me.

"Lex, I'm right here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." My voice made her curl up tighter.

"Alexis-"

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything! Stay away from me!" she cried. I stayed where I was. It hurt me more than I cared to admit. She was scared, she was hurt and she didn't want me around. It was because I didn't protect her. I let her get taken away. I let her get hurt by these bastards.

I heard someone move behind me. I turned my head to see the warden who was planning on taking advantage of my baby sister. My blood boiled with anger as he struggled to get up. I shouldn't waste my time hunting monsters. I should spend my time torturing the fuck out low lives like him.

I picked him up from the floor, pushed him against the wall and punched him hard in the face. I felt his nose break and he struggled to breathe. I pounded his face again, and again, and again. I lost count. All I could see was his face becoming more and more unrecognizable with every bone crushing blow I delivered. Finally he stopped responding so I dropped him to the ground.

I was shaking in anger but I remembered there was one more. He was crouched over the unconscious nurse and he looked up in horror. I liked it, seeing that look on his face. He deserved to be terrified.

I walked over to him and he tried to run, the coward. I threw him to the floor and placed my foot over his chest. He trembled beneath me. I crouched down so he could look me in the eyes.

"Give me your hand." I demanded. The idiot hesitated but showed me his hand anyway. I held it in both of mine and continued to stare at him.

"Someone should have taught you that real men don't hurt women." I stated. I closed my hand around a finger.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I was just doing my job."

I leaned closer and whispered into his ear,

"And I'm just doing mine." I snapped his finger. I felt the bone break clean. He screamed in pain. I grabbed another finger and did the same and I didn't stop until he was sitting motionless beneath me with all his fingers pointed in the wrong direction.

I didn't know if they were dead, but regardless, I had to get Alexis out of here. I turned around to see Alexis standing in the corner of the room, her eyes wide, watching me. I didn't move; I couldn't stand the thought of her being scared of me. We both stood on opposite sides of the room… still and waiting.

Then she moved one step closer. A look a realization crossed her face and then she was in my arms. I held her tight being careful not to press on anything. I saw the bruises on her face; I didn't know how many were beneath the jacket.

"Dean." She cried. I held her as close as humanly possible. I needed her to be okay, because without her…

Then I remembered we had to leave. I let go and reached for her jacket.

"We got to get out of here Lex. Sam's holding them off but they'll be here to take you back into child protective services." I started working on the buckles.

"Are they dead?" she whispered. I didn't stop.

"Maybe. I'm not sure." I pulled one arm over. "Lex, where did they hurt you?" I demanded. She twisted around and pulled her other arm out.

"I'm just bruised, that's it." I looked into her eyes, searching for any pain. She was scared. I stopped and waited.

"What are you afraid of Lex?" I asked. I put my hand on her cheek and she slowly leaned into it with teary eyes.

"I didn't know if you'd come." She whispered. My shoulders slumped and my heart fell. How could she say that?

"Well I had to because you're kind of important to me." I told her. She smiled at me and I pulled off the strait jacket.

"Kind of important." She repeated with a smile.

"Just a little." I admitted. She turned around but I pulled her back and made her look me in the eyes. "I will always come back for you, even if it's the last thing I do. And I'll kill anyone who tries to get in the way." She watched me with those big brown eyes and I held her gaze until the words settled in.

Sam had held off security long enough for us to leave and we ditched town pretty fast. Later that night we pulled into a motel and decided to lie low. Sam worked on fixing the mess we'd made and I cleaned Lex up. She had bruises everywhere. I gritted my teeth at how many there were.

"I should have killed them." I stated. Lex didn't say anything. "Lex, we got to put you in the tub, there's too many." I told her. Sam glanced over at her and I saw him tighten his hand around his drink. My guess was Sam would have killed them. He may have been my little brother but he was still Alexis' older brother.

She followed me to the bathroom and I shut the door behind us so the steam would heat the small room. The second I shut the door, Alexis had spun around and was running for it. I caught her as she leaped for the handle.

"Lex! What are you doing?" I pulled her upright.

"Dean, open the door. Get me out of here, now!" she panted as she tried to look past me. That was the first time I experienced Alexis' claustrophobia and it wouldn't be the last. Luckily she had pulled her long, dark, curly hair into a bun otherwise it would have been whipping me in the face. I held her firmly and pushed her onto the edge of the tub.

"Alexis, stop it." She was glancing uneasily at the walls. I sat her on the edge of the tub and crouched down in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Dean, the walls, they're closing in on me." I followed her gaze.

"Lex, the walls aren't moving." I told her slowly. She looked back to me, her breathing pace increased.

"Dean, they shut the door and turned the lights off. They'd catch me in the dark and force me into the corner… the pill… the water." She gasped slightly for air as if she were underwater. "And now these walls… it's all the same Dean, it won't stop!" she was panicking. I grabbed her face and kept it still.

"Lex, the walls aren't moving, the lights are on and nobody is going to force anything down your throat. There's lots of air, just breathe little sister." I said to her. I moved my hands down to her shoulders and felt her slow her breathing down.

"Better?" I asked. She nodded at me. I sighed, hoping there was nothing else the wardens from hell had done to her. She had assured me she was fine. I reached behind her to fill the tub. After a few moments of silence I reached behind her again to adjust the tap.

"Where's dad?" she asked suddenly. I stopped. She couldn't see my face.

Why was she asking me when she knew exactly where dad was? I couldn't do this. I couldn't explain it to her and keep it together. I had barely dealt with it myself, I couldn't help her too.

"He's gone, isn't he?" she answered her own question and I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears threatening to fall.

"I thought it might have been a dream." She paused. "Dad was invincible. If he can die then so can you. And so can Sam." She said softly. I didn't have the strength to face her. "Then I'll be alone, like I was today."

I got up, turned around and left the bathroom with Lex still sitting on the tub. She was dealing with Dad's death but I couldn't. I had been through enough and I needed a break. I walked past Sam and to the door.

"Deal with her Sam."

I left.

I wanted to be there for her and for Sam but I didn't want to think about dad. I spent a good part of the night drinking and found my way back to the motel at four in the morning. When I walked in, Lex was asleep with her head on Sam's chest. He had a hand on her head and the other wrapped around her shoulders. They both looked drained.

He looked to me and I nodded thanks. He had talked with her through the whole thing because that's what Sam was best at. She didn't tell him about what happened to her in the padded room or how the 'walls were closing in' but she told him about dad.

Sam still didn't know about the padded room.

Lex's claustrophobia was mild but it came out every now and then. It had showed when Sam cornered her when he was demanding answers, when others entered her personal space and today, when we put her in Bobby's panic room.

She reminded me, just today, of how sensitive this issue actually was for her.

_"Yeah Dean, did either of you bother asking me if I had any proof or did you just both decide it was time to throw me into the padded room with a strait jacket?"_

Sam didn't understand the depth to her accusation but I did. This was hard for her. She was revisiting a difficult time and I didn't want to make it any more painful. Losing Alexis to insanity wasn't an option.

* * *

Hours went by, Sam checked in on us relentlessly and Lex slept. I checked her bruises to find that they weren't lightening in color or decreasing in size. If anything, they looked darker. The next time Sam came down I called him over.

"Check it out, don't they look worse to you?" I pointed to Lex's back. Sam sat down on the bed and ran his fingers over the bruise.

"Yeah, they do. Has she complained about them?" he tucked Lex's hair behind her ear. I smiled. Sam would give Lex a good night kiss every night, even when we were kids. He treated her like a princess and I guess some things never change.

"No, she hasn't. I should have looked her over when we found her." I said quietly. I really hated myself for not doing so; maybe I could have stopped it.

"You mean when she gave herself up." He pointed out. He was right, we didn't find her; she revealed herself to us. "Speaking of, Ellen says that Matt and Jacob are still pretty pissed and if we do bump into them, we should steer clear and definitely keep Lex out of sight." He informed me.

I sighed. Matt and Jacob; I had forgotten about them. Sam and I were with those two, attempting to stop a seal from being broken when we got the call from Ash. We had to steal a couple of hex bags, scratch a few signs and kill a few witches but it took me a grand total of three seconds to call it quits. It pretty much went; Ash called, I answered, he said 'Alexis' and I stopped. Everything.

We ended up having to leave Ellen's house, not because it was getting crowded, but because the crowd was getting rowdy. We decided to withhold that information from Alexis. They were angry we bailed on saving the seal so quickly, and all over a girl who ran away. They didn't know the whole story and we weren't going to let Lex take the brunt of their anger so we left.

"Okay, actively avoid dickheads, not hard to remember." I stated. Sam smirked at me and stroked Alexis' hair. "Hey." I called to him. Sam looked up at me.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked. In this whole mess, I hadn't forgotten that Sam was hopped on demon blood and probably still having late night heart-to-hearts with Ruby. He nodded in response.

"Yeah, I'm good." He replied smoothly. I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Really? No headaches or nose bleeds?" I admit I found it hard to believe.

"I'm fine Dean. Stop worrying." He said brushing me off. Alexis stirred next to him and he moved his hand away, hoping she'd go back to sleep.

"Sam." He looked back at me, "Just because Alexis is going through a hard time, doesn't mean that whatever's happening with you is less important. You'll tell me if something's up, right?" I asked him. I had to hear him say it. Before I started looking out for Lex, looking out for Sam was my only job and it was branded in me.

"Yes, I'd tell you." He replied.

Sammy was a shitty liar, but I let it go. I always had my eye on him anyway. Lex stirred again and suddenly she shot straight up.

"Sam." She gasped his name and I moved to her other side. I was getting used to these abrupt wake-up calls. She shocked Sam though. It took him a second to adjust and then his undivided attention was hers.

"Lex, what is it?" Sam asked while holding her hand. She looked between the two of us, confused.

"I have something important to say…" she bit her lip.

"Lex you said that before, what do you have to tell us?" I questioned her whilst letting Sam know this wasn't the first time Lex had done this. Tears filled her eyes.

"I don't remember." She whispered. I hung my head in defeat, but only for a second.

Sam yelled in pain. I looked back up to see him waving his right hand like he had burnt himself. He lifted his palm and I realized he had burnt himself… in the shape of Lex's bracelet.

"The bracelet." He pointed to the cursed silver on Lex's wrist. I didn't wait a second longer. I pulled out the demon knife and sliced into the bracelet. It shone a blinding white light and we had less than a second to shut our eyes.

When I opened my eyes, Sam was still clutching his palm and Lex was sitting between us on the bed. She looked pointedly at Sam and then at me.

"I told you it was Ruby and Uriel."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up in a week. What did you think, I still feel iffy about the chapter, but maybe that's because I re-read it so many times, let me know...

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**Again: **A few things;

- I am working on a few one-shots from previous seasons so please let me know if you'd like me to write a particular episode. I've already got a list of my favorites, I'll just add yours as well. Two I am certain of will be The Benders and Prison Blues.

- The next few chapters of season 4 will be monster episodes before we reach the season finale! I'm planning on writing Family Remains and After School Special but again, please let me know which other ones you'd like me to write.

I am waiting for your suggestions :P

**Sara.B - **Thank-you for your kind words. Cas will reappear when I begin writing the chapters leading to the finale. Since I haven't written seasons 1-3, I'm using these chapters to establish the sibling dynamics of the Winchesters. Also, at your request, I will write the one-shot about Lilith and the 'blood-drinking'. Thank you so much for your review. I can respond in more detail if you create an account ;)

**Anonymous** - Thank-you for your review :) Any of the other angels will reappear around the same time as Castiel. I love the angels, they won't disappear so don't worry.

Feel free to message me anytime :)

REVIEW BELOW xx

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	13. Chapter 13 - Family Remains

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! This is the longest chapter yet at 10,831 words :O This is my first monster episode and for monster episodes I'll generally follow the outline and script of the actual episode because Kripke is brilliant.

Please let me know how I went on my first monster episode!

I hope you guys enjoy it. Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, sammygrrl00, cheekiimonkeii2, Sara B. and Emilyrose475. I absolutely love feedback :) Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 13 – Family Remains**

I leaned back against the wall and sighed. Dean reached over, grabbed my right hand and began examining the wrist where the bracelet was. There was a light burn, barely visible, in the design of the bracelet but he was more concerned about the small but deep gash he had given me when he pried the bracelet off with the knife.

"Shit." He pressed over it with his thumb and sat himself beside me on the bed. "Sammy, we need gauze." Before Sam could get up, Bobby came rushing down the basement stairs and slammed himself into the panic room with his gun raised. He was ready for battle and his eyes jumped from Sam, to Dean, to me and then to my hand.

"What happened?" he panted. He must have seen the bright light explode from beneath the house. Sam dangled the broken bracelet.

"We exorcised the demon bracelet from hell, is what happened. Bobby, a little help here?" Dean motioned to my wrist which was spewing out blood. I hadn't noticed how much blood until I saw Dean's hands covered in it.

"Jesus Christ Dean! Did you hit a vein or something?" I exclaimed. Bobby grabbed gauze from wherever he stored it and came to wrap up my wrist. Dean very carefully let go so Bobby could seal the cut but once Dean's hands were off we saw the damage. I was going to need stitches.

Dean's bloody hands went back to covering the cut while Sam got out the first aid kit.

"Three or four stitches will do it." He pulled out the antiseptic wipes and glanced up at me. "This is going to hurt kiddo."

The alcohol stung and I probably would have pulled my hand away if Dean wasn't holding it down.

"Fuck." I gasped. "Jesus mother of fuck." I clenched my teeth and Dean smirked at me.

"Sailor's mouth through and through." He murmured. Sam was also smiling at my outburst. He cleaned my wrist and began preparing the needle.

"Bobby, could you do something about that bracelet?" I asked him. He picked up the silver and examined it.

"Sure." He walked away staring at the bracelet like it was a dangerous puzzle. "Don't call me if you need something." He called from the stairs.

Dean let go of my wrist and went to wash his hands while Sam started stitching me up. He was very gentle but I was a sucker for pain so I moaned anyway when the needle pierced my skin. I let him concentrate on my wrist but then decided I had something to say.

"I'm sorry Ruby isn't who you thought she was." I said to him. It was just the two of us in the room. I wouldn't have risked saying this in front of Dean. He'd have a smart ass remark and then I'd have a fight on my hands, just like the last time. He kept his eyes on my wrist.

"Are you sure it was Ruby who gave you the bracelet?" he asked. I was confused. Didn't this prove it? I had told them exactly who played a part with the bracelet. I had seen Ruby hand it to me and Uriel charm it with my own eyes.

Then I got it. He was asking me to what extent did I trust my own vision.

"Are you saying that it was planted by the same supposed person who made me believe Ruby and Uriel were working together?" I queried.

He finished the last stitch and tied the thread up. It looked alright, not too gruesome but the pain was settling in.

"Do you remember getting the bruises?" he asked looking up at me. My hand instinctively went to the bruise on my stomach and I racked my brain for a memory. Unfortunately nothing popped up, meaning Sam was right. If I didn't remember the bruise, then I couldn't be sure if the last month of my life played out how I thought it had.

"No." I mumbled in disappointment. Sam sat himself next to me on the bed.

"I know you don't like Ruby," he sighed, "but she was helping me Lex. She was helping me become stronger so I could kill Lilith. She knew how to help me and she was there for me." He looked away as he spoke.

I hated her so much. It hurt me when he said shit like this to me. Whenever Sam picked Ruby over our family, it made us weaker.

"I was there too Sammy." I reminded him, "I was there for you but you left me. And I'm guessing we could have worked through this together but you bailed on me; you didn't even give me a chance!" I wasn't mad; I was simply explaining it to Sam from my point of view.

"And I don't care how many times you say it to me Sam, but her method of helping you… it's not helping. Drinking demon blood isn't good for you. Yeah it makes you stronger but at what cost? I don't trust Ruby; I still think she's got an ulterior motive. Her whole 'I remember what it was like to be human' bullshit isn't working on me." I stated.

He still didn't look at me, probably because I brought up the touchy topic of him abandoning me after Dean got dragged to hell. We hadn't really talked about it yet but it was clear that I hated Ruby for it. If there was one thing I wanted to be remembered by, it was my hate for Ruby. When hunters scatter my ashes, they'll say 'no one hated that demon Ruby more than Alexis Winchester.' I'd like that.

Sam cleared his throat.

"Well I believe her. She wouldn't turn her back on her own family to come and help ours unless she meant what she said. I just need you to understand there's a reason I trust her." He finally looked at me.

"Yeah, I know, you screwed her and now you have this 'connection'. It's really touching and whatnot but as long as you know I don't trust her…" I trailed off. There was silence for a moment.

"That's why I left." He said quietly. I looked up to see him watching me.

"What?"

"You're just like Dean. Same hate for Ruby, same stupid jokes…"

"My jokes are awesome." I defended myself. He laughed lightly.

"That's what I mean. I left because the longer I stayed with you; the more I remembered Dean wasn't here. I know it's a stupid excuse-"

"Sam," I cut him off, "You don't have to justify anything to me." I patted his knee.

He looked confused.

"But you're angry that I left. _I'm_ angry that I left!" he retaliated.

"I know, but that's just the way we feel. You don't have an obligation to stay and look after me. I'm old enough to look after myself." I scoffed in amusement, "Holy shit, I'm 21, I'd better be able to look after myself. What I'm trying to say is, I don't think Ruby was actually helping you and maybe if you had given me a chance… I could have helped you. I don't know." I rubbed my temples. I didn't even know what my point was anymore.

"I guess I can't blame the bracelet on Ruby until I have solid proof."

"I guess not." He agreed.

"Thanks." I lifted my wrist and motioned to it. He took it in his hands and looked it over. I got up to leave but he held me in place.

"Sam?" I turned to him. He looked at me with stern eyes.

"We're hunters. Living alone doesn't mean independence for us, it means stupidity. I learnt that the hard way. The next time you think you should be able to look after yourself, remember that."

Damn it. I didn't realize I was unintentionally jabbing at Jessica's death. She and Sam were both 22 when she died. He was right, as a hunter, you needed your partners to have your back. Sam stood up and towered over me. He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"You have two older brothers. We're going to be looking out for you even when we're old and grey, and we're always going to feel guilty if you're upset, whether that's how it's supposed to be or not. You'll just have to get used to us explaining ourselves when we screw up."

Sammy. Sometimes I really believed he was a pink marshmallow trapped inside Sasquatch's body. I smirked at him.

"I'll be waiting for your apology when you realize Ruby's a two-faced bitch." He rolled his eyes, amused at my cockiness.

"Who's calling Ruby a two-faced bitch?" Sam and I turned to see Dean return with clean hands.

"That would be me." I had no problem admitting it.

"That's my girl. How are you feeling?" Dean took my wrist into his hand and looked at the stitches.

"I'm fine. Sammy did a bang up job." I pulled my hand out of Dean's and shot him a look to stop babying me. He simply raised an eyebrow at me. "So what's the plan?"

"That really depends on how you feel. Is the bruise still there?" Sam asked. He had a valid point. I didn't want to go on a hunt and risk their lives if I wasn't up to it. I turned around and lifted my top up. I turned to see their faces, and by the looks of it, the big ass bruise was still there.

"Okay, I feel fine so maybe we hit up a salt and burn. It's been ages since I hunted. Or wait, do the angels need us working on something else?" I hadn't been around for the rest of the seals but maybe I could make up for it.

Sam shook his head.

"Uriel told us that the angels don't need us at the moment; we're supposed to be figuring out who took you."

Even when he said it, it felt wrong. Nobody took me, I remember planning my escape and it just felt so real. Then again, I didn't remember getting that god forsaken bruise so how could I trust myself?

"What did Bobby say about the bracelet? Any leads?" I asked curious to see what was actually happened to me.

"Nothing yet." Dean sighed in frustration. "In the meantime, you're right, let's find an easy hunt and work our way in. We'll leave in a couple of hours." He got up and walked out with Sam and myself following closely behind.

* * *

One week later and the three of us had hit up four cases. Sammy and I were getting a little tired and God knows what Dean was running on. Dean had pulled up on a secluded side road which lead into the forest and it was two in the morning. Sam was asleep in the back seat and I needed some fresh air. I quietly opened the door and slipped out.

"Where I can see you." Dean ordered quietly, flashlight out and eyes still on the map he was holding.

"It wouldn't really make a difference." I mumbled under my breath. For that I received death stare. "Joking." I put my hands up in defense and walked away. I stayed in Dean's sight but sat against a large tree trunk where the leaves weren't blocking the moon.

The bruise was still on me but it had become a little lighter over the past few days. Bobby still had no leads on the bracelet and to our knowledge, Castiel was still with Zachariah and our other angel allies were still MIA. We had fallen back into routine and I loved it. After being away from these two knuckleheads, it was nice to do something so familiar. On the plus side, all the training I had done with Anna had actually paid off and was helping me in our hunts.

I was faster.

Sam and Dean could only strike at me so fast but Anna, Anna was like lightning and she taught me how to use my speed to my advantage. When I first started training with Sam he had done something similar. Before anyone taught me how to fight or shoot, Sam had made me sprint. He said that the first thing you do in a battle is look for an escape, once you're cornered, then you fight. This was in relation to when something was attacking me of course, not when I was protecting someone else. I was grateful for Anna and hoped she was alright. I also wondered if I should ever tell Dean that Anna was somewhat in love with him.

Anna didn't bother me so much. When it came to Dean, most girls pissed me off. I knew Dean was heartless when it came to girls but on the other hand girls could be real bitches. Cassie was one of them. God I hated her so much. Almost as much as I hated Ruby but no one could take Ruby's place. Cassie broke Dean's heart the first time he fell in love and that was something I would never forgive. I had never seen him so vulnerable before that, especially with how nervous he had gotten when he wanted to tell her and the look on his face when he came home afterwards. He was broken and I was left to fix him.

If Dean gave Anna a chance, it might work. Even if Dean gave Jo a chance, it might work. I loved Jo as well. I wasn't sure what she'd be like when I first saw her but now I know she's a free spirit, a fighter, a little insecure but hey, who isn't? She was as human as Dean, and she wasn't a bitch to me just for being the sister of 'ever so handsome Dean'. I had gotten a lot of that before.

Most girls, generally the dimwits, who were lusting after Sam or Dean, without thought, became a bitch to me. Why? I thought it was because they were jealous. Jealous of the attention I got from my brothers which they didn't. They could have been on the way to making a home run with either Sam or Dean but the second I called for them, my brother's eyes were on me. The ladies hated it because Sam and Dean were desirable, but what they didn't realize is that I only call my older brothers for important reasons. Girls who didn't get that were only good for a night.

I pried my eyes away from the trees and back to the Impala. Dean was still looking for a new hunt and I wondered if he could see me. I stuck my finger up at him. He didn't raise his eyes but he flipped the bird right back at me and I laughed. Of course he was watching me. Always the big brother.

I walked back to the car and got back in the front seat. Sam shifted.

"What are you doing?" he asked groggily from the back, still lying down. Dean looked up for a second.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" Dean asked in return. I sighed, leave it to Dean to answer questions with questions.

"Like you're looking for a job." Sam answered his eyebrows raised in exhaustion.

"Yahtzee." Dean smirked. Sam sighed and slowly sat up. He gave me a questioning look and I just shrugged my shoulders in response.

"We just finished a job like two hours ago."

"Adrenaline's still pumping, I guess." Poor Sam was still rubbing his eyes. Dean put down the map and reached for another sheet of paper. "So, what do you think… Cedar Rapids, Tulsa, or Chi-Town?"

I wasn't too concerned about Dean's work ethic, but then again, I hadn't been around for the past month so I didn't know if he was pushing it.

"I am all for working. I really am. But you got us chasing cases non-stop for like a month now. We need sleep. Lex needs sleep." He motioned to me. Dean turned to me with a look I didn't like. I didn't want to be dragged into their fight.

"I'm fine. I don't need sleep." I said quickly. Sam narrowed his eyes at me like I was a traitor.

"Yeah, we can sleep when we're dead." Dean brushed it off.

"You're exhausted Dean."

"I'm good."

"No, you're not. You're running on fumes, and you can't run forever." Sam retaliated. Dean and I both turned to look at Sam.

"And what am I running from?" Dean asked, already looking like he wasn't going to like the answer.

"From what you told us." Sam said reluctantly. I looked away from Sam and down at the Impala's leather seats between myself and Dean. I didn't want to see Dean's face when we brought up hell again. "Or are we pretending that never happened?"

I had a feeling it was going to be ignored for the time being. After a moment of silence, Dean turned back around and shone his torch back on the page.

"Stratton, Nebraska. Farm town. A man gets hacked to death in a locked room inside a locked house. No signs of forced entry." I saw Sam sigh in defeat. Dean wouldn't talk until he wanted to talk and knowing Dean, that would probably be never.

"Sounds like Freddy." I whispered. Dean gave me a small smile.

"Sounds like a ghost." Sam interjected tiredly.

"Yes it does." Dean said happily.

Sam sighed and flopped back down in the back seat. I took my shoes off and laid down in the front seat, my head on my travel pillow.

"Don't worry Dean," I yawned, "if it's Freddy, I'll torch his perverted ass." I shut my eyes. Dean started the car and I fell asleep.

* * *

We turned into the road leading to the ghost/Freddy Kruger infested house. The road was covered with autumn leaves and the house itself was big.

"Well, it doesn't look like a creepy house." I pointed out. Sam scoffed from behind and Dean shot me a look.

"People like you are the first to die in horror movies." He informed me.

"Our life is a horror movie and Sam was the first one to die, followed by you." I shot back. Please, like I would ever die. I was practically invincible around these two.

"Touché."

Dean pulled up to the house and I armed myself. I had two daggers on the back of my waistband, a knife on my ankle, two guns on either side of my waist band, the EMF reader in one hand and a gun in the other. You could never have enough weapons.

Dean picked the lock, opened the front door and we walked in. The house was empty, no furniture, hardwood floors and ugly wallpaper. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. We walked into the living room and honestly, I was expecting something to jump out at me, but nothing did.

"Boy, three bedrooms, two baths, and one homicide. This place is gonna sell like hotcakes." Dean remarked. Sam and I smiled at each other.

"I might have to rule out Freddy." I said pointing to the fireplace.

"Freddy can kiss my ass." Dean jeered. I hit him on the arm.

"Ssh, he'll hear you." I chastised. Dean rolled his eyes, grabbed my head and pushed me towards the kitchen. It was a normal sized kitchen but then again, nothing seems normal when Sam walks in. He looked like Godzilla terrorising Japan. Sam and Dean opened a few cabinets and I went to look out the window. There were fields spreading out to the forest and a few power lines stood between the house and fields; the only thing reassuring you that you were near civilisation. This place was _really_ secluded.

"Hey, check this out." Dean called us over and pointed to a spot on the wall. There was a square outline and so Dean knocked on it. It was hollow.

"Huh." Dean ran his hands over the edge and Sam ran his over the wall searching for anything else.

I hated hollow walls; it meant something could be behind them and it could jump you when you weren't looking. I moved the tiniest bit closer to Sam. He noticed and smiled.

"It's probably a dumbwaiter. All these old houses had them." Sam said knowingly.

"Know-it-all." Dean murmured.

"What?" Sam asked.

"What?" Dean played dumb.

"You said…"

"What?"

"Never mind." Sam turned around confused. Dean smiled cheekily. He walked up to me and I leaned a little closer to him so I could whisper.

"Sure, or it was installed to deliver chopped up body pieces from the basement to the kitchen so the cannibal who lived here could cook easily…" I stated matter-of-factly.

"Wait, first Freddy and now Hannibal? What, did you decide to re-watch the classics without me?" he queried as he led me up the stairs. I looked at him feeling a little guilty.

"I got bored with Anna." I said slowly. He shook his head at me.

"I'm hurt." I rolled my eyes at him and pushed him ahead of me.

"Yeah, whatever princess."

We walked into the upstairs bedroom where the guy died. It was clean with no visual sign of anything out of the ordinary.

"Well, no bloodstains, fresh coat of paint, it's a bunch of bubkes." Dean said as he walked to the window.

"Needle's all over the place." Sam waved the EMF reader around. Dean pointed out the window.

"Yeah—power lines." Whoops, maybe I should have pointed that out earlier.

"Great." Sam retorted.

I opened the closet and was a little worried to find a doll's head on the floor. Sam and Dean stood behind me.

"Uh…" Sam grimaced at the disfigured face. I was suddenly glad I never played with dolls.

"Well, that's super-disturbing." Dean stated.

"Think it got left behind?" Sam asked.

"By who? Unless Bill Gibson likes to play with doll heads." Dean asked sarcastically.

"Unless it's Freddy…" I mumbled. Dean groaned.

"Alright, that's enough out of you." He moved me away from the doll. I heard an engine in the distance. We looked out the window to see a four-wheel drive followed by a moving van coming down the road to the house.

"Uh-oh."

"I thought you said this place was still for sale." I aimed at Sam.

"Apparently, it's not."

I guess it was time to go. I tucked the gun into the front of my jeans and moved swiftly down the stairs to the front door. When Sam and Dean caught up to me I swung back around.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked me. I looked at him like he was stupid.

"What's our cover?" Dean paused for a moment and then pulled out some form of I.D.

"Country code enforcement dealing with asbestos." He pointed to me. "From the real estate agency, we needed the key, got it?" Sam dug around inside his jacket and finally found the right badge. I led them outside.

"Can I help you?" A man in his early forties walked towards us from the white car after he spotted us. His teenage daughter stood behind him with her luggage in her hands and his wife was still beside the car. There was another man there who looked a little like the wife, my predication was that he was her brother, and a younger boy playing with a dog a little further away.

"Hi. Are you the new owner?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah, you guys are…?"

"This is Mr. Stanwyk. I'm Babar. Country code enforcement." Dean replied smoothly as he and Sam flashed their badges. Luckily he seemed to ignore me so I didn't even have to explain my role here.

"We had the building inspected last week. Is there a problem?"

"Asbestos in the walls, a gas leak—yeah, I'd say we got a problem." Sam answered for them. The guy didn't seem happy with the news but he'd be thanking us later.

"Asbestos? Meaning what?" the woman asked.

"Meaning until this house is up to code, it's uninhabitable." Sam explained to them. The woman looked upset. There was a small pain in her eyes, like she couldn't deal with another thing not working out for her. I had seen that pain in our eyes. It was there when we were tired of fighting and dealing with the world's shit. I offered her a weak smile.

"Whoa whoa whoa. You're saying we can't stay here?"

"It's a health hazard. You don't want to." Dean stated matter-of-factly. The other guy walked forward.

"Hold up. We just drove four hundred miles." He complained.

"There's a motel just down the road. Till this gets cleaned up, I suggest you stay there." I offered a solution. His anger diffused slightly when he saw me.

"And who are you?"

"I'm from the real estate agency. They needed a key and it is policy to supervise visits until the owners have moved in. On behalf of the agency we apologise for this inconvenience but we take your safety seriously. The motel is the best option for the time being."

"All right, and what if we don't?" The first guy asked.

"Well, you get a fine or you go to jail. Pick your poison." Dean answered coming to my rescue.

The man turned to look at his family, contemplating the choices. He stuck one finger up.

"One night." His daughter's eyes widened in disbelief. "One night, and I'll take care of everything, ASAP, I promise."

"Yeah, you do that." Dean nodded, happy that they agreed so easily.

"Another motel?" The daughter looked less than impressed. "Awesome, Dad. I hope this one has hooker sheets, like the last one." Hooker sheets? Dean looked surprised but I tried to repress a grin.

"Danny!" the mum called to young boy. The three of us turned around and headed back to the car in relief.

"Come on, Danny!"

"I feel kinda bad for them." I said as I looked back at the retreating family.

"You'd feel worse if we let them move in and turn into ghost chowder." Dean pointed out. I grimaced at the visualisation.

* * *

We decided to question the cleaner, Mrs Curry, and this time I went with Sam and Dean. Usually I'd sit it out in the car because it grew complicated when we explained three officers or two officers and an intern, but the last time I waited in the car, Ruby decided to pay me a visit.

"What did the room look like when you found it, Mrs. Curry?" Sam asked politely. Mrs. Curry was a smart woman. She was protected behind her screened door and asked to see the boy's badges properly. She liked me though.

"I already told the local boys, there was blood everywhere."

"And Mr. Gibson—where was he?" Dean asked.

"Everywhere." She replied stoically. Poor Mr. Gibson. If I had to die, I'd like my body to remain un-mushed, so at least nothing would be missing.

"How long have you been cleaning Mr. Gibson's house?" Sam queried.

"About five years."

"So you knew him pretty well."

"Well, not really well. He was real private. Not the easiest man. Not that I blame him." She seemed like she was telling the truth but Dean was a better judge of character than I was.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"His wife dies in childbirth. Daughter hangs herself in the attic twenty years later. I'd be bitter, too. I think I got some pictures." Dean nodded knowingly and she walked back into the house to retrieve the pictures.

I slid my head between Sam and Dean's shoulders.

"I hate chick ghosts." I whispered. They were the scariest kind.

"Don't we all?" Sam pushed my head back. Mrs. Curry made her way back.

"Here." She handed Dean two pictures from behind the door. One was of a young girl, fairly pretty and it looked like a school photo. The other was of a couple standing in front of the house.

"Thanks. Can we keep these?" he asked.

"Suit yourself." She replied. Dean handed them back to me and I walked along the porch looking at them. I used the opportunity to look around the back of her house for any weapons or hidden sheds which could be hiding any sort of dirty little secret. It looked clean to me. I walked back in time to hear,

"Well, sometimes, I thought I heard like a...rustling in the walls." That perked up my interest.

"Like a rat?" Dean asked. My face contorted in disgust. Rodents were disgusting.

"Yeah." She replied, her brows pulled together like she was trying to remember.

"Must have been some big sons of guns out there, huh?" he chuckled.

"Wouldn't know. Never saw any." She replied. This was feeling more and more like a horror movie by the minute. You hear rustling noises in the walls but there weren't any rats…

"Do you happen to know where Mrs. Gibson and her daughter were buried?" Sam brought Dean and I out of our thoughts.

"They were both cremated." She replied.

Well shit. At least this didn't completely rule a dude ghost out. I'd prefer them to girls with their long tangled hair, their faces half showing and long white dresses… I just couldn't.

"Thanks for your time Mrs. Curry." I smiled at her and handed her our card. "Call us if you think of anything else." She took the card and smiled at me.

"Does she know why the daughter killed herself?" I asked Sam as we walked down the porch steps. He shook his head.

"She wasn't working there at the time. All right. So it probably wasn't the mom or the daughter. Whose ghost was it?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I say we give that place a real once-over and see." Dean answered. We got into the car and I pried off my jacket.

"She looks clean, no suspicious after-hours activities going on in that house." I informed them. "But I don't like the idea of the walls making noises." I wanted to make that clear. Sam rolled his eyes at me.

"Anything small enough to fit in those walls will hardly hurt you Lex." He reassured me. I caught Dean's eye in the rear view and he smirked at my discomfort.

"Well, clearly you haven't watched Chucky."

* * *

We pulled up to the house at night to see the lights on. It was clear the family had moved in regardless of our instruction.

"Crap. So, what now?" Dean asked. I scanned the fields from the back seat, keeping an eye out for anything strange.

"We could tell them the truth." Sam suggested.

"Really?" Dean and I asked. Sam gave us an exasperated look.

"No, not really."

I put on my jacket and secured my two daggers, ready to run out if needed. The rest of our weapons were still in the trunk. We must have been sitting there for twenty minutes before we heard a girl scream. We scrambled out of the car and took off towards the house at full speed. Sam and Dean headed for the front door while I sprinted around the side of the house to the back, trying to block any intruder who was escaping. I cleared the backyard and walked in from the back door with my blade out.

"We heard screams. What's going on?" Sam and Dean were inside.

"Oh, you two! Did you touch my daughter?!" The father asked. Okay, I was lost. I put my dagger away and walked into the room.

"What? No." Dean was equally confused. Before I knew it, the uncle had jumped me. I spun in his grip and pushed him against the wall. The rest of the family cried out and I let him go slowly.

"Easy. We're not here to hurt you." I explained. Dean shot me a relieved look.

"Who are you guys?" the man asked.

"Relax, please. You have a ghost." Sam explained.

"A ghost." The man raised his eyebrows. Boy was he skeptical.

"I told you!"

"It's the girl!" The kids seemed adamant; they had probably seen something.

"Both of you, relax. What are you guys playing?" He pushed his kids back to the mother and turned to face Sam and Dean. Trust the adults to ignore solid advice.

"Your family's in danger. You need to get out of the house now." Dean told them. Suddenly the lights went out. Shit.

"What the hell?"

"Nobody move!" Dean ordered. We stayed silent and I changed my stance. The darkness did not make this any easier. Then we heard the family dog howl.

"Buster!" The boy yelled. The dad and the uncle, despite Dean's warning, followed the howls outside. We didn't have a choice but to follow.

"Buster! Buster?" they jogged down the steps, "Buster! Buster!" We followed the noise around the side of the house. The grass was stained with blood and it led a track to the moving van

"What the hell?"

The side of the moving van had the words 'too late' painted in red, or blood…

The rest of the family rushed out to the balcony.

"Buster!" The boy called out upset.

"Go back inside. Go!" The dad ordered them. The mother ushered them inside. Dean put his hands up in surrender.

"We are not the bad guys, but you're in danger." He told them.

"First thing's first. You've got to get your family out of here." Sam advised. The two men looked at each other.

Two minutes later Sam and Dean were escorting the family outside. I decided to stay outside and watch the upstairs windows while the family organised themselves.

"Head to the motel I was talking about. You'll be safe there." I said to Brian, he was the father.

"What are you three gonna do?" he asked. Dean didn't answer.

"Oh, no! Oh, come on!" He yelled. I spun around and saw the Impala's tyres were slashed. Bastards! Sam headed to the trunk and rummaged through. "Oh, come on!" Dean screamed as he examined his tyres. Brian headed to his car and Sam's head popped up from the open trunk.

"Dude, the guns are gone. So is the..." he put his head back in the trunk. "Basically, everything is gone." He emerged again with nothing. I moved to Dean's side as Dean threw his arm in frustration. I leaned over to check the trunk. Please don't let it be true. I frowned as I saw the empty trunk. Weapons completed me; this was not good. Suddenly the two daggers I had were very important.

"Truck's no good." Ted came running back as well. He was the uncle.

"Both tires slashed." Brian informed us.

"What kind of ghost messes with a man's wheels?!" Dean yelled to nobody.

"What's going on? What's going on?" The girl, Kate, was freaking out. Suddenly she screamed bloody murder. We turned to look at her in alarm.

"She's there! She's there!" she cried.

"Where?!" the mom, Susan, asked frantically.

"She was right there in the woods!" She pointed behind us. That was it; I spun around ready for a fight. Sam and Dean shone their torches at the bush but there was no one there.

"What's a ghost doing outside?" Dean asked us quietly.

"You want to stay and find out?" Sam replied. Dean made the decision.

"Everybody inside." He ordered.

"Are you crazy? We need to get the hell out of here!" Ted yelled at Dean.

"In what?! This ghost is hunting us! Everybody back inside now! Move!" The family turned around and rushed to the house, Dean following closely behind. Sam kept his torch on the trees and I kept a watch in the opposite direction as we jogged up the porch stairs.

* * *

Upstairs in the bedroom Sam poured the salt to make the circle and I kept watch at the window. Dean was crouched in front of the fire.

"Whatever's outside, it can't get in this circle. As long as the salt line is unbroken, this is the safest place to be." Dean told them.

"Safe from ghosts?" Brian asked. The idiot was still skeptical.

"Yes, as a matter of fact." Dean looked him in the eye.

"Okay. I'm not listening to this anymore. Come on. I got to get my family out of here. Let's go." He put his arms around Kate and Danny. Dean stopped him. I stood up from the window sill and braced myself for an outburst.

"Nobody's going anywhere until we kill this thing." Dean raised he voice. Sam stood in their path.

"Sir, please. This is what we do. Just...trust us." He reasoned. They stayed still.

"You hunt ghosts?" Danny asked us.

"That's right." I answered. He turned around to look at me and I winked at him.

"Like Scooby-Doo?" he asked with wide eyes. Sam and Dean's softened at his question.

"Dude, so much better." I replied with a smile.

"You saw her outside, right? Okay. Does she look like either one of the girls?" Sam showed the photos to Kate. She looked carefully and then pointed to the daughter.

"Her. She was paler and a lot dirtier, but that was her."

"That's the girl in the walls." Danny piped in. The walls…

"So it's the daughter?" Sam looked to me. I noticed Ted was getting restless and nudged Dean. He looked to me and then Ted. I knew what he was thinking, he didn't have a gun so apart from actually physically harming the guy; we had no way of making him stay put. I slipped a dagger out from my holster and handed it to him from behind. His eyes widened when he realised I was armed and he gave me an approving smile.

"That girl in the picture—She-She's dead?" Susan asked timidly.

"She killed herself inside this house." Sam informed her. The family looked even more frightened after that. Sam and Dean walked towards me at the entrance to the room.

"So, what. The maid got her story wrong? Rebecca wasn't cremated?" Dean whispered.

"Unless her spirit's just attached to something inside the house." I pointed out.

"She hung herself in the attic, right?" Dean asked. I nodded.

"You guys want to babysit? I'll check it out." Sam offered. Dean motioned for Sam to take the wheel. Suddenly I felt Ted behind me. I manoeuvred away from him and next to Dean; now was not the time for strangers to enter my personal space.

"Look—I don't care who hung themselves where. Maybe something is going on here, but-"

"It's a spirit, man." Dean corrected him.

"No, it's just some backwoods hillbilly bitch, and I'm not about to sit around here waiting for her to go all Deliverance on my ass." He argued.

"Well, nobody's leaving the house." Dean stated simply.

"Stop me." He threatened. I blocked his path as Dean grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. Susan and kids gasped at the necessary violence.

"Listen, man. I've got a gun. You don't get your ass back in that circle, you're gonna have yourself a third hole." Dean threatened quietly. Ted reluctantly moved back inside the circle. Sam moved closer to us.

"Dude, you don't have a gun." He whispered.

"And? I'm not letting that bastard or anyone else die tonight." Dean stated. I placed my other dagger in Sam's hand quietly. He shot me a surprised look and then the corners of his mouth turned upwards into a small smile.

"Sam, will you be alright?" I asked. He nodded.

"You cool?" he asked Dean. Dean pondered the thought for a moment and nodded.

"If I'm here, of course he is." I pushed Sam out the door.

"Go." Dean ordered and Sam hurried to the stairs. Dean walked right up to me and put his lips to my ear.

"You couldn't have given me the blade before?" he asked. I laughed uneasily and scratched my head.

"Yeah…" He glared at me. "Well, go on, babysit them, not me." I pointed him inside the room and posted myself in the hallway.

* * *

"Hey. Fonzie. Question for you. This indestructible force field made out of salt... Have to be kosher stuff, or what?" Ted jeered at Dean. If he didn't keep his mouth shut… he might not have a mouth by morning.

"Knock it off, Ted." Susan glared at him. A sound came from the wall.

"Shh…"

"What was that?" Kate eyes were still teary. Dean looked at me.

"In the circle." He called me to him. I slid beside him and he handed me my dagger. Instead he took the iron fire pick. The closet door began to slowly open. Dean and I braced ourselves.

First out came a small white hand. Brian rushed to his family's side and they cluttered behind us. A mattered face peeked out and she twitched her neck.

"Mom." Kate cried quietly.

"All right, everybody stay calm. She's a ghost. She can't come in the circle." Dean reassured everyone. The girl moved closer to the circle and stopped at the edge of the salt. Her breathing got louder and I saw her slip a knife out from her sleeve.

Then she stepped over the salt line.

Holy mother of fuck. There was a collective gasp from behind us. Dean and I watched her step over the line in confusion but only for a second.

"I thought you said ghosts couldn't cross the circle." Kate cried.

"They can't. She's not a ghost." I answered.

"Shoot her! Shoot her!" Ted yelled.

"Yeah, about that..." she struck at Dean but I got in between. "Go, go, go! Move!" he yelled to them. She slashed like no bitch before. After two swipes I grabbed her hand, rolled into her and elbowed her in the face. Plot twist… she bit my elbow.

"FUCK!" I screamed. Dean pulled her off but she struck at him too and he started dodging the violent strikes. I held my bleeding and probably infected elbow in pain. Dean was on the floor and she was about to strike.

"Hey!" Sam appeared at the door and shone the torch in her eyes. She covered her face in pain and screamed before running away.

He ran to the closet door and looked inside. Dean got up and walked over to me. He took my arm and looked at my elbow.

"What happened?" Sam asked us. I groaned as Dean wrapped the bite with a piece of cloth.

"The bitch bit me!"

* * *

Brian ran into us as we walked outside.

"Hey. You okay?" he asked us.

"Where is everybody?" Dean asked ignoring his question.

"Hiding." Finally he did something smart.

"All right, go get them. Go. Go get them." Dean patted him on the shoulder. "So, it's not a ghost." He said to us.

"So, it's just a girl?" Sam asked disbelievingly

"It's not just a girl. It's psycho Nell. I'm telling you, man—humans." Dean gritted his teeth as he glanced down at the bloodied cloth around my elbow.

"So who is she, then?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the daughter, Rebecca. Maybe she didn't hang herself." Dean suggested. I shook my head.

"Can't be her. She'd have to be like fifty years old by now." I pointed out.

"Well, I don't know. What'd you find in the attic?" he looked to Sam.

"Some old junk. I found Rebecca's diary. That's about it."

"I wish you'd found a howitzer. Listen, we got to get this family safe. I mean, it's just a human, so they can make a run for it. We just got to hold her off." Dean instructed.

"Did you read the diary?" I asked Sam. He seemed confused.

"No." he replied. I raised my eyebrows.

"The diary will probably tell us who the she-wolf is." A look of realisation crossed Sam's face.

"We're okay." We turned around to see Brian leading Susan and Kate to us.

"Danny! Ted! We got to go!" he called.

"I'm good!" Ted came running from the opposite direction with a flash light. Where was the kid?

"Danny! Come on!" Susan called.

"Danny, buddy, we got to go!" Brian yelled. There was silence.

"Told you it was some crazy bitch." Ted directed at Dean.

"Yes, you did." Dean replied angrily. The kid still wasn't here and I wasn't feeling great about it.

"Head to town. We'll take it from here, okay?" Sam instructed Brian. He turned his head and nodded at Sam before looking back to where Danny was supposed to emerge from.

Danny was in danger.

"Danny, come on, baby! We're leaving!" Susan yelled again.

"Danny, we got to go!" Brian called uneasily. Nobody replied. Kate walked forward in tears. I took a few steps forward too.

"Brian, where—Where is he?" Susan asked.

"Danny!"

* * *

"Danny!" Susan ran forward. Brian ran forward too and stopped her.

"Suse, Suse, Suse. We will find Danny, I promise you."

"No." she cried. I ran past them.

"Lex!" Sam shouted at me.

"Alexis!" Dean yelled. I ignored him and ran around the corner. This bitch was about to get it.

"Come on you psycho nutcase… come and get me." I said to myself. I stopped in the backyard for good measure and looked into the dark windows. Empty. I made my way around the house and back to the front.

"All right, you and me will take the outside." Sam pointed to Brian. Then he saw me. "Anything?" I shook my head. "You three take the house." He pushed me towards Dean. "Let's go."

We jogged up the stairs and into the house. Dean grabbed me and spun me around.

"Don't do that again." He looked me straight in the eye.

"She bit me!" I argued.

"A little heads up." He hissed.

"Fine." I said reluctantly. He let me go.

* * *

Dean walked straight to the closet and started feeling the back wall for an opening. Ted opened one of the moving boxes and pulled out a kitchen knife.

"What are you doing?' he asked.

"She's human. She had to come from somewhere." I replied. Dean pushed on a loose board; there was a gap behind it. I grabbed one end and we pulled it open together. The stench escaped instantaneously.

"You smell that?" Ted screwed up his nose. I grinned at him.

"Every day." Dean replied. He took the knife from Ted and looked around inside the walls. He stepped through and I was right behind him.

"Come on." I called Ted in. He slowly followed us into the dark space. There were cobwebs everywhere and space for one person to walk through. We followed the bend when finally Dean stopped and pointed the light to the floor. There was a man-sized hole leading below.

"You're not going down there." Ted directed at Dean.

"Well, do you want to?" he shot back. Ted didn't say anything.

"I'll be right behind you." I told Dean.

"Doesn't make me feel better." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes. He lowered himself down into the hole.

"Please nobody grab my leg. Please nobody grab my leg." He whispered. I had to hold in my laughter. I should have gone in first and scared the shit out of him. Once he was in, I put my legs in and dropped down, easier than he did. Dean shone the light around the room.

He gasped as he noticed the rat corpse hanging inches from his face. I laughed quietly.

"I told you someone was chopping up things in the basement."

I pointed my torch further out and saw mush. It was Buster, the dog, torn to shreds.

"Dog. It's what's for dinner." Dean said to himself. "Danny?" he called.

"Danny? It's us." I followed suit.

"Find anything?" Ted asked from above. I looked to Dean.

"Yeah, her kitchen." He said quietly.

"Her what?" Danny asked confused.

We kept walking. This girl was barbaric. She clearly hadn't been taught anything. There were dead animals lying around in what seemed to be her home. On one of the walls was a child-like finger painting, in blood, of a girl and a boy.

"It's art class for the demented cave girl." I whispered. I almost jumped out of my skin when we heard her scream again. Dean and I scrambled to entrance in time to see Ted's head fall through the hole with a knife wound in his neck.

Dean pushed me behind him and against the wall. We both hid the light from the torches and stayed quiet. The blood was still dripping from Ted's throat and Dean shut his eyes defeat. I gripped Dean's sleeve and looked away.

* * *

Dean and I slipped out of the house with Ted over Dean's shoulder. We ran to the shed and Dean put Ted down on the grass. I knelt beside him and looked at his wound. Her knife's blade was two inches wide and sharp. It was a vicious but clean cut. Dean knocked on the door

"Sam, it's me."

There was rustling on the other side of the door. I zipped up Ted's jacket so you couldn't see the wound and shut his eyes. The door opened. Sam's face looked relieved to see us. We slipped inside quickly and shut the door behind us.

"Did you get Danny?" Susan asked. I shook my head.

"No."

"No? Well, where's Ted?" she asked the both of us.

"He's outside." Dean replied looking down. Sam caught on.

"Well, why doesn't he come inside?" she glanced past us at the door.

"Because I had to carry him out." Dean was hurting. "I'm sorry." He said and placed the torch on the table.

"You're...what does that mean? What does that mean, you're sorry?" she was confused.

"Are you saying that he's dead?" Brian asked. Everyone's eyes were on Dean.

"No. No, he's not saying that he's dead. You're not saying that, are you?" Susan asked frantically. I couldn't look her in the eye.

"We were in the walls and she attacked." Dean told them. Susan's face changed. I couldn't watch anymore. I turned around and headed outside.

"Oh my god." I heard her cry as I shut the door behind me.

I walked a little further out and sat on a broken wheelbarrow. I had almost forgotten what this felt like. Not being able to save an innocent. I looked over at Ted's dead body. He had a family in that shed crying over him and he would be missed. I wanted to go over there and wake him up; tell him to come back and just rewind time the slightest bit so I could do things differently. I knew it wasn't right, but I didn't want to feel the same way I did when I saw that hellhound rip into Dean, and experience that moment when I knew no matter what I did, he wouldn't come back.

I put my head in my hands and sighed. I didn't even notice Dean come out of the shed until he was standing a few feet away. I looked up at his torn face.

I shouldn't have gone down there with Dean; I should have stayed with Ted. But what if something had happened to Dean then? I would have never been able to forgive myself. And what if something had happened to me… then Dean would never forgive himself. I remembered what Dean told me when he had killed all those demons before I ran away.

_"All I could think about was your safety. It scares me to think about the things I would do for the two of you without hesitation. The things I am willing to do without a second thought because the two of you are my whole life. The things I do scare me, what I did today scared me, but, never do I feel guilt or remorse for the people I killed. In those situations it's either them or you and you have to pick yourself, you have to pick your family because without them you would be lost. Without them, you can't live."_

He was right. Who was I kidding? If I went back in time, I'd still drop down that hole behind Dean because Dean was more important to me.

"It's not your fault." I said quietly. He just stared past me.

* * *

Dean was talking to Brian in front of the house and Sam was sitting beside me reading Rebecca's journal. Sam told me that Brian and Susan lost their eldest son, Andy, last year. He didn't know how Andy died but I understood the pain in Susan's eyes now. It was at that point where you can't have another thing go wrong because you simply wouldn't know how to deal with more. Suddenly Sam got up and pulled me alongside of him.

"Easy there Sasquatch." I complained shrugging him off but following him regardless.

"Dean." He called to Dean and held the diary up. Dean looked to me and then to him. "We gotta talk."

* * *

We walked into the house with the flashlights out.

"What is that?" he asked as he walked to the closet and shut the doors.

"Rebecca's diary. I just finished reading it." He explained. I helped Dean move some of the furniture in front of the door.

"And?" he asked.

"That girl back there? Pretty sure she was Rebecca's daughter." I turned around confused.

"Rebecca had a kid?" I asked.

"It's all she talks about. Being pregnant, being ashamed of being pregnant." Sam continued.

"Jeez, rent Juno and get over it. Wait, why kill herself after the baby?" Yeah, Dean was the sensitive brother.

"Maybe because her dad called her a dirty little whore and said he was gonna lock the baby up." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"Why would he say that?" Dean asked.

Yeah, why would he say that? Why hurt the poor baby? Unless there was something to be ashamed of, like who the father was. Oh…. It clicked. If what I was thinking was right, it was gross. Well he was a fucking pig of a dad. Sam didn't say anything and then Dean got it.

"Oh, gross." He winced.

"Yeah."

"So the daddy was the babydaddy too?" He asked.

"Father was the grandfather, medieval kind of thing…" I guessed.

"He was a monster."

"Wow, a story ripped from an Austrian headline. Humans, man." He shook his head. He had a point; we could really be screwed in the head sometimes. "So she's been locked up her whole life?"

"She's like a vampire Dean. You saw her eyes. Has she ever seen light? She's barely human." I pointed to my elbow which had finally stopped bleeding. I was going to need some sort of shot if she was eating raw rats and dogs…

"Okay, so, what, then, she's been caged up like an animal and she busts out and ganks dear old Dad? Slash Granddad?" Dean asked.

"I guess." Sam said.

"Well I hope she did, the bastard deserved it." I said. I felt sorry for Rebecca now.

"Well, can't say I blame her." Dean remarked. Sam looked at him.

"I'm sure her life was hell, Dean. It doesn't mean she gets a free pass for murder." He pointed out. Ted's dead face flashed in my mind. Sam was right too.

"Like you know what hell's like."

I looked up at Dean. My heart hurt when I saw his face. It ripped me to pieces watching him like that. I felt powerless and even though Dean was inches away from me, it felt like we were separated by worlds.

"I didn't..." Sam started

"Forget it." Dean said looking away. Then he turned to me because I was still staring at him with my doe eyes.

"So where do we find her?" Sam asked.

"Kid's gotta eat, right?" Dean broke eye contact with me and walked to the wall.

"What?" Sam asked. Dean looked at me pointedly. My theory about the dumbwaiter!

"He kept her hidden, locked up, but he had to feed her, didn't he?" I continued for Dean.

"I guess."

"We think we know where."

* * *

Sam and Dean were inside the house with Brian. They were working on opening the gap where the dumbwaiter was and sliding down to find Danny. I was in the shed with Susan and Kate, defending them in case the girl made her way out here. I was armed with one dagger and that was it.

Susan was holding her daughter close and rubbing her back. I watched them. I wondered if that's what it would have been like between my mom and me. Would she comfort me like Susan was Kate? I felt myself envying their bond. I wanted to look away but I couldn't. It was beautiful.

"It's okay. Shh. It's okay." Susan whispered to her.

Suddenly the boarded-up windows were smashed in. Susan and Kate screamed and turned around. I pushed them behind me and twisted the dagger in my hand.

I put my finger up to my lips, telling them to be quiet. They looked absolutely terrified. I would be too if someone with that kind of hair came near me. I motioned to the rake beside them and Susan snatched it up like her life depended on it. Well, I guess it did.

We waited quietly. I was secretly hoping she'd show herself again so I could end this. Suddenly a knife came through the wall behind them. They screamed again.

"Oh my god!" Kate exclaimed. I pulled them to the centre of the room and again I motioned for silence.

The psycho chick banged against the bottom wall making Susan and Kate cry out. She was slamming the wooden planks to get it, so I took the opportunity. I ran at the it and broke through the wall, kicking the girl in the process. We tumbled out onto the grass but I didn't waste time. My training kicked in immediately.

I pushed myself up and ducked her knife swing. I pushed her wrist towards her other hand, twisted behind her and elbowed her in the back of her head, hard. She dropped the knife in a daze. With my back to her back, I snaked my arm around her neck, place my leg behind her feet and pulled her towards me so she fell over my leg and spun to the floor.

She was a tough one, she got back up. I grabbed her knife and finally I felt complete with a blade in either hand. She wasn't going to calm down so maybe if I cut her she'd back away. She charged at me and the first thing I did was run towards her, kick my left foot on her chest to hold me up and once I was in the air, used my right leg to round-house her to the face. I spun as I landed and brought the blades across her cheek.

She screamed at me and then grabbed for my shoulders. She opened her mouth like she wanted a bite of my face.

"Not this time." I put my arms between hers and pushed them out; I kicked her on the chest and then swung my right arm, with the dagger, into her neck. She fell to the floor, gurgling on her own blood. I reached down and stabbed her heart, putting her out of her misery.

The wound on my wrist from where Dean had sliced me had opened and so had the bite on my elbow. I was covered in my own blood and hers. I dropped down next to her and laid back in the grass, catching my breath. She was a strong girl.

Everybody was okay. I heard Brian run out with Danny. I heard Susan cry whilst hugging both her children. I heard Brian walk over and check to see if I was okay. My moving chest must have been enough because he didn't come closer. Instead he was looking at the girl.

I shut my eyes in exhaustion. I heard Sam and Dean come out of the house. They passed Susan and the kids and slowly walked up to Brian. Suddenly I heard them running.

"Lex!"

"ALEXIS!" I shot up ready to fight again. Sam and Dean came barrelling into me. Dean grabbed my shoulders, took one look at my face and pulled me in tight.

"What!?" I cried with my face pressed into his chest. "What is it?!" Who was attacking? Dean let me go.

"Jesus ankle-biter." Dean brushed the hair out of my face. They looked over to the girl. Then I realised what it must have looked like. Me lying in the grass, next to the crazy chick, covered in blood.

"I'm fine, just opened some cuts and mostly her blood." I leaned into Sam and he put his arm around me holding me up. I was getting tired again. "What about you two?"

Dean turned away from the girl and looked at me.

"She had a brother, he's dead too." He turned back around and pulled my dagger out of the girl. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

It was the next morning and Dean jacked down the Impala after replacing his slashed tyres. I was standing beside him trying desperately not to itch my elbow after Sam gave me a shot. Sam pulled Dean's duffel out of the repacked trunk and threw it in the back seat of the car. It was time Dean slept. Luckily we found all our weapons and gear stashed in the walls. I was going to keep myself armed from now on, two daggers, two guns and a knife no matter what. Brian and Susan walked over; their kids were on the porch.

"Thanks for the head start." I told them.

"Why doesn't it surprise me you guys don't like the police?" Brian asked us. Sam smiled

"It's sort of a mutual-appreciation thing, really." He joked. Brian shook Dean's hand.

"Well, thank you." He said kindly. He meant it; Sam and Dean had saved his son. Susan stepped forward and gave me a hug. I hugged her back pretending she was mom.

"Thank you." She said to me.

"Not a problem." I smiled at her.

"You okay?" Dean asked her as I leaned back on the Impala with my hands in my pockets.

"No, we're the opposite of okay, but we're together." Brian took Susan's hand into his.

"Thanks." She said again. Dean simply nodded in response.

* * *

Three hours later Sam had pulled up under a bridge. We got out and he handed us burgers. Not the healthiest breakfast but I had already had my workout last night. I dug in without a second glance but Dean unwrapped his, looked at it, and wrapped it back up. I froze. This felt like a trick question on a pop quiz.

"You okay?" Sam asked.

"You know, I felt for those sons of bitches back there. Lifelong torture turns you into something like that." He said. I put my burger down.

"You were in hell, Dean." Sam told him. Dean didn't look up. "Look, maybe you did what you did there, but you're not them. They were barely human." Sam reassured him.

"Yeah, you're right. I wasn't like them. I was worse. They were animals, Sam, defending territory. Me? I did it for the sheer pleasure."

"What?" There was silence.

"I enjoyed it." He looked disgusted at himself. "They took me off the rack, and I tortured souls, and I liked it. All those years, all that pain. Finally getting to deal some out yourself… I didn't care who they put in front of me. Because that pain I felt, it just slipped away. No matter how many people I save, I can't change that. I can't fill this hole. Not ever."

I looked away and thought about the previous night. How I had secretly hoped that the girl would present herself to me so I could end it all. How I didn't care that it was Ted who died for Dean. My emotions were slipping too, so was Dean really that wrong. Would I have enjoyed dishing out some pain to other people so I could escape from mine? I think I would, and so, I'd never judge Dean for that because I was just as evil.

In fact, I was more evil that he was... and I was more evil than Sam was. Sometimes I just wanted to watch the light disappear from someone's eyes and for some reason unknown to me, it made me feel good. I felt sick thinking about it and glanced back at my brothers, just to make sure they were still here and didn't leave in disgust after hearing my thoughts. What the hell was wrong with me?

I lifted up my shirt the tiniest bit and saw the bruise on my stomach. It was darker than it had ever been.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up in a week or so. Uni starts soon so my chapters will be updated less frequently during those times.

Also, did you find too much fluff in this episode? I'm never sure about it.

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**Sara.B - **Thank-you again for your sweet response, I hope I didn't disappoint :) AND GET AN ACCOUNT! It's so fun :P

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Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	14. Chapter 14 - After School Special

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! This is another long chapter at 11,282 words :O Hope you guys enjoy it!

Also, I worked super hard this week and also wrote a one-shot for this series, **Alexis Winchester - The Benders**, before I go back to university. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; weetwifan, Carver Edlund, xxLiveLoveReadxx, Liz H, lisab2012, Jasmine, emily2696, Cinderbunp, ElizabethMaeWinchester-Kirk, sammygrrl00, Mayrem and Emilyrose475. Thank-you so much for your feedback, it inspires me to write more.

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 14 – After School Special**

It was a week later and we were in Sioux City, Indiana investigating the 'mysterious' death of a senior student named Taylor, at Truman High School. Another girl at the school, April, had smashed Taylor's head against the mirror in the girl's bathroom and then drowned her in the toilet. How was this case for us? I didn't think it was, but Sam was convinced something was up so he was in the mental ward speaking to April, while Dean and I waited in the Impala.

Honestly, I thought Sam wanted this case because he and Dean had attended Truman High back in 97', but I wasn't exactly sure why Sam wanted to come back. He had offered to interview April and I was glad he did; this way I wouldn't have to explain to Sam why I didn't want to step foot inside the crazy bin. It was a shame really; I used to love hospitals before. They were so clean, the hospital gowns were so light and there was a point in time I desperately wanted to try on strait jacket and bounce around in a padded room. Not anymore.

I was lying down in the backseat with my feet out the window and Dean was sitting up the front. We were keeping ourselves busy while Sam did the hard work.

"Rocky?" Dean asked me.

"Easy, one, two, three, Balboa, four, five." I answered. "You?" I asked in return.

"One, four, two, Balboa, three, five." he replied. I sat up and glared at him.

"Why? Why on earth would you put four second and Balboa before three?" I asked horrified. "You just want to watch the world burn, don't you?"

He turned his head back to look at me like I was the one spewing crazy from my mouth.

"Four because Apollo is killed by Ivan and Rocky takes revenge… and Balboa because he makes a comeback in his old age. It's God-like. Your order is the one that's screwed up." He directed at me.

"No," I said exasperated, "three before Balboa because Apollo trains Rocky and four towards the end because he's training in Russia against a drug-induced freak… and Apollo dies!" I argued.

"That makes it epic and original!" He exclaimed.

"Not as original as Mr. T!"

We both froze and I contemplated jumping to the front and attempting to pin Dean down for his bad taste in ranking movies but he gave me a look saying I was doomed if I tried.

"You're injured enough as it is." He warned me. I sighed and slumped back in my seat. It was true, out of the three of us; I had copped the most injuries over the last two weeks.

Sam had a few cuts and bruises and Dean's injuries were a little more severe after the boy who lived in the walls attacked him but me on the other hand… I was getting the worst of it.

I still had the cuts and bruises from when the house exploded in Peaceful Valley, I had the dark bruises on my stomach, back and inner arms, – we still didn't know from where - I had the burn from the bracelet, I had the cut from Dean prying the bracelet off and I had the bite on my elbow from the crazy girl.

Usually Dean would have reluctantly dropped me at Bobby's so I could get some rest and heal but he wasn't risking it this time. He hadn't said anything to me but I knew he didn't want me out of his sight. I really hated myself for making him feel that way. It's not that he didn't trust me; he was more worried I'd be tricked into doing something stupid and paying with my life.

Or maybe he didn't trust me… I wasn't sure. We didn't talk about it and I preferred it like that at the moment. Right now I was more than happy just being in Dean's company. With every passing day I realized how much I had actually missed my brothers.

Sometimes they would be standing inches away from me and then I'd remember my time away from them. My heart rate would increase and I'd panic slightly at the thought of being separated again. It was during those times I'd playfully push them, just so I could feel that they were still there with me.

"Any word from Bobby?" Dean brought me out of my thoughts. I looked to him and shook my head.

"Nothing important. He still hasn't figured out what the bracelet actually does, he doesn't have any leads on Anna and her rebels, he hasn't heard from Cas and Uriel has been keeping his distance. It's all at a standstill." I replied.

Dean nodded in response and ducked his head so he could see out Sam's window. Sasquatch was taking his pretty little time.

My arm was hanging off the side of the seat and I felt an open bag of skittles sitting on Sam's duffel. I took out a skittle and threw it at the side of Dean's face.

He turned swiftly and caught it in his mouth. I growled at him and he smiled.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." He said as he stuck his arm out to me. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me upright just as Sam opened the passenger door and sat down. He still had his white orderly's uniform on underneath his jacket.

"So?" Dean asked. Sam sighed.

"I think she's telling the truth. I mean, the way she talked about being there mentally but not physically - kind of sounds like demonic possession to me."

"Kind of?" I asked. Dean expression mirrored mine. I didn't want to hunt a high school based off 'kind of'.

"She didn't see any black smoke or smell sulfur." He explained. Maybe it was a hex or a poltergeist.

"Maybe it's not a demon. I mean, kids can be vicious." Dean offered. He was right about that, high school had been one of the most dangerous places I had ever been. There was bitching, scandals, bullying, illicit drugs, drink-driving… the works.

"Well, I mean, we're already here. Might as well check out the school." Sam suggested. Dean contemplated that for a moment.

I knew Sam wanted to go back but now I'd have to figure out why. I never attended Truman High so I didn't know why this place made Dean so miserable and Sam kind of giddy. Instead of snooping on my brothers, I had been ten years old and happily skipping rope.

"Right. The school." Dean said placidly. Sam noticed the strange look on Dean's face.

"What?" he asked.

"Truman High, home of the Bombers." Dean almost sang. Sam looked indifferent.

"What's your point?" he asked Dean

"Yeah, what is your point?" I interjected cutting Dean off before he could answer. He glared at me for the interruption and I smiled cheekily back at him

"I mean, we went there, like... for a month a million years ago. Why are you so jazzed to go back?" he laughed lightly.

"I'm not. I just think it's worth looking into." Sam defended himself. I leaned over the seats and popped my head between the two of them.

"You sure it's not because you're infected with hepatitis nerd?" I directed at Sam. He stared at me and shook his head at me.

"Do you ever shut up?"

"What do you think Sammy?" I replied smiling.

"You're having one of those days, aren't you?" he asked exasperated. I winked in response and sat back down. Dean smirked at me and then looked back at Sam.

"All right, well, what's our cover? FBI? Homeland Security? Swedish exchange students?" he inquired.

"Don't worry. I got an idea." Sam replied looking pleased with himself.

"Okay." Dean started the car and drove forward. I was excited about going back to school and even more excited about visiting Sam and Dean's old high school. I remembered wanting to follow Sam in when we first got here in 97'.

* * *

**Truman High School - November, 1997**

I was ten years old and sitting in the back of the Impala as dad pulled up to the high school. Dean got out from the passenger seat and Sam held the door open for me as I jumped out.

"Thanks, Dad." Dean called to dad as we walked away. Dean was going to drop me at the primary school before heading off to class which he would probably end up skipping. The kids here were huge. I looked up at them as the brushed past me and Dean put an arm on my shoulder pulling me closer to him so I didn't get lost.

"Got your lunch? Books? Butterfly knife?" he asked Sam. Sam had his head down and was walking alongside us.  
"Yeah, Dean." He replied. He didn't seem very enthused.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

"Sure." Sam replied looking to side.

"Sammy..." Dean half asked while stepping in front of Sam and stopping him in his tracks. I kept walking, leaving Dean behind me but I felt his hand grab my backpack, stopping me from going any further.

"I mean, look, this is the third school we've been to this year, and it's only November. I'm just sick of always being the new kid." Sam explained his sour mood. Dean listened and nodded in response.

"You'll be fine. If anyone gives you any trouble, you let me know." He told Sam, who rolled his eyes instead. I moved in front of Dean and he placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Yeah Sammy, you tell us. I'll be here before you know it." I informed him. Dean chuckled from above and Sam cracked a small smile.

"Sure you will ankle-biter." Dean kissed the top of my head and then looked back to Sammy. "Relax. Dad said this hunt will take him two weeks, tops. As soon as he gets back, we're out of here." Dean reassured him.

"To another school. Awesome." Sam replied dryly. He walked past us and to the entrance. I turned around and squinted up at Dean.

"Sammy's not happy Dean." I informed him like he didn't already know. He looked down at me and smiled.

"I know kiddo." He replied. I stared at him for a little longer.

"Well, fix it Dean." I told him like it was the most obvious solution known to man. He looked amused and pulled me forward.

"You know all the answers, don't you?" he joked. I turned my head to see Sam's figure retreating into the dark abyss known as high school.

* * *

**Present Day**

When Sam said he had a plan, we didn't realize it was an unconventional plan. I walked into the girl's bathroom where April killed Taylor and searched the stalls for sulfur. There was nothing here. I turned to look at the newly replaced mirror on the wall and walked forward to the sink.

It had been a while since I dressed for school but the years had done me no damage. I was wearing black, tight denim jeans, a loose light-grey top and I had pulled my long, dark, curly hair into a messy bun keeping it out of the way. I smiled at myself, enjoying the fact that I could dress up for something so menial.

Although I was twenty-one, I had always looked younger than I actually was and so pulling of seventeen or eighteen was not difficult at all. I was going to attract some attention here.

I may not have been a 'fun blonde' but the reason I had guys chasing after me in high school and even still to date was because I had tanned skin with long dark curls, I was gifted with an hour glass figure and most importantly, I was confident. All together I was an exotic beauty who slipped into people's lives for two weeks and then disappeared. It was all very appealing.

My healthy eating and strict fitness regime is what had given me my flawless skin – minus any scars I had from hunting - and healthy figure so it wasn't difficult to figure out I was beautiful. My mistake, everyone is beautiful, but I was perceived as attractive. I wasn't ashamed to say it and I didn't feel the need to fish for compliments.

I had Dean to thank for that. He figured out pretty early in my life that there were disadvantages to being a woman and so he pushed for me to express my opinion, be confident and become the outspoken person I was today. Dean didn't order me around as a child like he did Sam, nor did he make me follow Dad's orders. He knew if I was suppressed like that from a young age, when I grew older, I'd be an insecure woman who would seek attention from the wrong people.

Dean had gotten in right.

Luckily, Sam and Dean weren't going to be near me today so I wouldn't have to worry about them pounding any horny teenage boys into pulp. They knew I was capable of taking care of myself, but they weren't fond of the idea of boys hovering around me. I thought it was a fair call because I got super agitated when I saw easy girls trying to claw at Sam or Dean, so why wouldn't it work the other way around.

I left the bathroom and walked to my first class, English. As I entered the class, I was forced to dodge a paper ball aimed at the bin. The next task was to find an empty seat. There was one up the front next to a ginger girl with freckles and there was another in the second row from the back, in-between a tall, lanky dark-haired boy and a cheerleader blonde.

As I emerged from the corner of the room, eyes started focusing on me but I ignored their looks. I walked down the middle column and a golden-haired jock pushed his other jock friend out of the seat behind him. He put a hand back on the desk and smiled at me.

"Care to join us?" he asked smoothly. His friend clenched his teeth and sat in the seat I was going to take in the second last row. I guess I couldn't walk back to the front row now.

"Sure." I flashed my prize winning Winchester smile at him and took the seat behind him. As I sat down, I got dirty looks from two of the cheerleaders. I sighed quietly, looking at my desk… this was too cliché. The golden-haired boy turned around to face me.

"My name's Kade, welcome to Truman High." He gestured to the school and then stuck his hand out to me. I shook it to be polite and tried to ignore all his friends staring at me. He held my hand when I began pulling it away.

"Smooth hands." He complimented before letting go.

"Smooth lines." I replied. He laughed and nodded in approval.

"So you noticed…" he noted. The red head sitting to the left of him was burning my skull with her glare.

"It's hard not too, you were trying so hard." I replied casually. His jock friends laughed and oddly, Kade wasn't offended. He pointed to his friends.

"This is James," he pointed to kid whose seat I was sitting in, "Ashley," he pointed to the blonde to the left of me, who smiled with contempt, "Ally," he gestured to the red head, "Michael," he pointed to dark haired, prince-like, model on my right, "and Benji." He pointed to blonde jock sitting next to him.

"Hey." I nodded politely, "I'm Alexis. Quite a gang you have here."

James leaned forward with a grin on his face.

"We rule the school baby, stick with us and you will too." He jeered.

"Are you boys enjoying your new toy?" Ashley spat. They went silent. She was staring at me with such hate. I made a decision.

"I'll be here for a few days," I said to her, "don't let me get in the way." I winked at her, got up and walked to the desk next the ginger just as the teacher walked in.

Wow. The bullshit that was pouring out of their mouths seemed surreal to me. No wonder Taylor was dead. If this was the kind of crap that was circulating around school, I'd want to kill someone too. I did not want to deal with that kind of drama here. It was too much stress for my frail mind, a mind which was only equipped to deal with emotional Sam and Dean.

"Hey." I whispered to the ginger.

"Hey." She replied quietly and kept her eyes on the desk.

"My name's Alexis, but I usually go by Lex." I introduced myself. She glanced up at me and I smiled at her.

"Matilda." She said quietly.

"Matilda." I repeated. "That's a pretty name." This time she looked up at me properly.

"Thanks." She said and produced a tiny smile. The English teacher began teaching her class and I fell into the routine of taking notes, generally interested in what she was saying. I wasn't as bad as Sammy, but I was a nerd at heart too.

* * *

As soon as the bell rang I rushed out of class and made my way to the gym for period two. I didn't have gym but I had to see Dean in action. It took me a while to get there and when I finally did find the damn place, I slipped in quietly and stood against the wall next to the door.

When my eyes found Dean, I almost did a double take. I left Dean in the morning wearing a full, red, 'Truman High' tracksuit which made him look neat and normal. Somewhere from the time I got out of the Impala to now, the devil himself had risen from hell and presented Dean with new attire.

He was still wearing the white 'Truman High' shirt but instead of track pants he was wearing a pair of very tight red shorts. I'm sure those shorts broke some sort of sexual harassment rule and I doubted he'd be able to run in them… or at least run effectively. To top it off, someone very cruel had handed Dean a red sports sweat band which he was wearing along with long white socks. It looked like he had been picked out of a 60's sporting catalogue and dropped in the gym to teach these poor students.

The kids were already lined up but Dean blew the whistle anyway. Then he began pacing in front of them.

"Today, you will have the honor of playing one of the greatest games ever invented. A game of skill, agility, cunning." I smiled at his speech. "A game with one simple rule..." he picked up a red ball from the pile. "dodge."

Then he threw the same ball at the kid standing in front of him. It hit him in the stomach, hard, and the poor guy buckled over in pain. If it was me, I would have dodged, but that was _only_ because I knew Dean… the poor kids had no idea what they were in for.

"Sorry." Dean stated. He still had his macho complex running and to me, he still looked like an idiot.

"Uh, Substitute Coach Roth..." A chubby Asian kid put his hand up and addressed Dean.

"Yes?" Dean walked over to him.

"Ms. Boudreaux never let us play dodge ball." He looked like a soft kid and that was heightened with his thick accent.

"Well, Ms. B's in Massachusetts getting married, so we're playing." Dean informed him, smiling.

"She says it's dangerous." Dean blew his whistle with narrowed eyes.

"Take a lap!" he yelled to the kid who jumped in surprise at the whistle.

"But-" he tried again. Dean blew the whistle again and the poor kid began running. The door opened next to me and Sam walked through wearing the janitor's jumpsuit. Dean looked up and finally noticed I was here now that Sam had entered the gym.

"Why aren't you in class?" Sam asked me. I grinned at him and I pointed to Dean as he threw the bag of balls to class.

"Go nuts." He said as walked towards us.

"And miss this? No way." I laughed lightly as Dean approached.

"Having fun?" Sam asked Dean. Dean proudly held up the whistle like it was his most prized possession.

"The whistle makes me their God." He stated slowly and clearly like it was going to take time for Sam and I to take it in. I raised my eyebrows at Sam and suppressed a smile.

"Right. Nice shorts." He glanced down at Dean's shorts. I couldn't help it, I had to smile.

"What _happened_ to you?" I asked tragically and barely holding in my laughter. Dean looked at me confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Of all the things you have done Dean, those shorts are the worst." I informed him. Sam chuckled and Dean ignored me with grace.

"Find anything?" he asked us both.

"I've been over the entire school twice. No sulfur." Sam replied. Damn it.

"Nothing in the bathrooms." I added.

"No sulfur, no demon. No demon, no case." Dean was talking to the both of us but my attention was caught by the kids playing dodge ball.

"I don't know. Maybe I was wrong." Sam shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it happens to the best of us. I say we hit the road, huh? But after lunch - it's sloppy-joe day." Dean added quickly. I watched a ball fly directly at the chubby kid's face… he didn't dodge.

"Ohh!" he yelled. Both Sam and I winced; it looked painful. Dean turned around and we watched the kid run by us holding his nose.

"Good hustle, Colby! Walk it off!" Dean yelled at Colby's retreating figure. He had a tough expression on until he looked at us, then he smiled sheepishly. Sam rolled his eyes, turned and left but I looked to Dean.

"I have gym later in the day, look out for me?" I asked.

"Always do." He replied. I smiled as I turned to leave.

"And burn those shorts." I called out as I walked away still amused.

* * *

I got to period two a little late but it was brushed off because I was new. I had biology in the science labs and judging from what everyone else was doing, we were supposed to be pouring sulfuric acid on blended green vegetables. I had just completed a degree in science so I was pretty sure I'd catch on fairly quickly.

I was paired up with Matilda and we set to work quietly. I was planning on asking her about Taylor's death but then I caught wind of the conversation going on next to me.

"Hey, I need to copy your algebra homework again." It was a jock and he was hissing at his lab partner, who was not paying attention but instead staring off into the distance. The jock hit the boy to get his attention. "Hey!" he whispered louder.

The other boy looked up without emotion.

"Why? Cause you're a stupid, brain-dead dick?" he asked. I stopped my mouth from falling open. Wow, he was a gutsy kid and I praised him for that. The jock looked taken aback. When the other boy turned on the Cuisinart, the anger returned to the jock's face.

"I'm gonna shove my fist down your throat, you little freak." He threatened. The boy looked down at the jock's hand and then back up at the boy.

"That fist?" he asked, slightly timidly.

"Yeah." The jock replied, happy that his threat had made an impact. I looked carefully at his face; I was going to need to remember who he was when I kicked his ass later.

Before I knew it, the boy had grabbed the jock's hand and pushed it into the open Cuisinart. His fingers sliced up in an instant, the blood splattered everywhere and the jock was screaming. I stood in shock for a moment just as the teacher pushed through and shoved the boy out of the way. The rest of the kids were screaming and fleeing the classroom.

The teacher put a cloth on the boy's hand and ran him out of the room. I looked to the door and saw Sam make his way in with a shocked face. The room was empty and we both turned to look at the boy. He wobbled, then his knees buckled and he was on the floor. We ran forward and crouched down next to him.

"What happened?" he asked looking at his bloodied hands. I looked to Sam, who pointed to the boy's ear. Oozing out was black goo… ectoplasm.

* * *

The teachers had assembled the kids who were in the biology class in one room so they could get an honest story about the incident while it was fresh in everyone's mind. They were a miserable bunch, some sobbing, others staring into space and the exceptional few who were re-enacting the event.

I sat beside Matilda and offered her silent support as she tried to hide the blood stains on her shirt. Unfortunately she had been standing in the splash zone. They were about to lead us into a non-violence assembly so I looked for a quick escape. I slipped out and headed in the opposite direction to the gym. I must have walked twenty steps before someone pulled me from behind. I expected it to be Sam or Dean and was generally surprised to see Kade instead. He watched me in concern.

"Where are you going?" he asked. I racked my brain for a logical response. I decided to play the emotionally distraught card.

"I just wanted to be alone." I told him. He sighed.

"Pretty tough first day… we're not like this all the time you know." He joked.

"Just on days with new students?" I asked and he smiled.

"Yeah, it's kind of a welcoming ritual." I laughed lightly and then stopped. A kid just lost his hand, I shouldn't be laughing. Kade moved closer to me.

"Hey, hey." He said quietly as he placed his hand on my neck and moved in close. He was a head taller than me and his stance was very intimate, especially since my back was pressed up against the lockers. I did not want to kiss this boy although the comforting thought behind the gesture was nice.

I gently pushed him back. All it did was stop him from moving in for a kiss but he still kept the gap between us to minimum.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. I smiled at him. What's wrong? There was a lot wrong with this picture.

"We just met, like two hours ago." I pointed out. He laughed lightly, then took one of his hands and found the pin which was holding my hair in a bun. He pulled it out and let my long dark curls cascade around my face.

"Well, where have you been my whole life then?" he asked quietly. He moved in for a kiss. I looked for a quick escape.

Suddenly Kade flew backwards and landed sprawled on the floor with someone standing over him.

Dean.

* * *

**Dean**

"How's the nonviolence assembly going?" Sam asked me as I left the gym and met with him in halls. I was surprised Lex wasn't with him. I had kept my eye out for her while I was in the gym but she must have skipped the assembly. I didn't blame her; she preferred to express her anger in the form of killing so the school's message would be lost to her.

"Apparently, shoving a kid's arm into a Cuisinart is not a 'healthy display of anger.' So, the kid had ectoplasm leaking out his ear?" I asked Sam as we walked down the hall.

"Which only comes from a seriously pissed-off spirit. It's got to be ghost possession." Sam looked sure. Demon possessions we dealt with all the time, ghost possession, not so much.

"Yeah, but that's pretty rare." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but it happens. I mean, they get angry enough, they can take control of a person's body." Sam explained.

"All right, so, what, we got a ghost in the building?" I asked, briefly looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, but where? I mean, there's no EMF. Maybe we could find out who it is, at least. You know, check and see if somebody died bloody around here or something." Sam suggested but little did he know I'd already done the research. I went to pull the sheets out of my pocket.

"Way ahead of you. I had to break into the principal's office to get this. Oh, and FYI, three of the cheerleaders are legal. Guess which ones." I grinned at Sam just thinking about them. He rolled his eyes.

"No." he refused to play along. I unfolded the sheets and read through them.

"So, there was only one death on campus. It was a suicide back in '98. Some kid named Barry Cook." Sam snatched the paper away. "What?" I asked. Sam sighed.

"I knew him. How did he die?" Sam explained. I looked at him confused. How did he know this guy? Better yet, how did he remember this guy?

"He slit his wrists in the first-floor girls' bathroom." I told Sam. Now the case was making a little more sense.

"That's where-" Sam started.

"Right where the chick got swirleyed to death, exactly. So, what? This ghost is possessing nerds?" I asked. If that was the case then Lex was safe, she had all the charms she needed to avoid possession.

"And using them to go after bullies, yeah." Sam said, his eyes still on the records. I looked past him and noticed two students in the distance.

They were leaning against the lockers and the guy, who looked athletic, was about to lay his moves on the girl but she pushed him away slightly. She was a shy one, but if she was with a jock, he'd definitely get his way. I pointed them out to Sam and grinned as we got a little closer. Sam narrowed his eyes. I sighed… couldn't the guy just enjoy life a little? We were watching an expression of young love or more like young lust.

The guy pulled the girls hair out of her bun and I stopped in my tracks. Sam stopped too, ducked his head forward and squinted a little. That hair… I knew that hair.

I woke up some mornings with that hair in my face. Then it sunk in and I saw red.

"Is that…" Sam started asking. Yeah, it was.

I was about to murder someone. Screw the poltergeist. There were more important things I had to take care of, like perverted, horny teens who were forcing themselves on my sister. I moved forward at a deadly speed with Sam right behind me. I was next to the jock in an instance, I grabbed his jacket and flung him back just as he moved in towards Lex.

I was about to break my cover. I stood over him, ready to beat the little shit till he didn't remember his own name.

* * *

**Alexis **

"Dean!" I called out to him. He was angry… oh he was very, _very_, angry. Sam stood beside me, breathing loudly in anger, waiting to see what Dean would do. I knew Sam wouldn't stop him. He had the self-control not to lash out Kade but that didn't mean he was going to stop Dean from teaching Kade a lesson.

Dean grabbed Kade's jacket with one hand, pulled him up, shoved him inside the cleaner's closet and shut the door. He let his forehead lean on the door and then very slowly turned around. He was in my face in the blink of an eye.

I put my hands up defensively.

"Nothing happened." I said quickly watching the anger in his eyes.

"Because we stopped it." Sam said to me from beside Dean. It was me against them now.

"Why is he in the closet? Just send him to the assembly." I suggested. Dean was still towering over me and glaring in silence.

"He wasn't that interested in the assembly before…" Dean shot at me.

"He caught me sneaking away and wanted to know if I was okay." I explained. Dean gritted his teeth.

"And what, he thought he'd find the answer in your mouth?" Dean growled. I put my hand on Dean's arm. Maybe if I convinced them that Kade was only doing things in my best interest…

"He was trying to comfort me. I had just seen someone's hand get sliced off." I reasoned. Dean nodded in agreement.

"Comfort you. Right, well why don't I just go and comfort him." He pulled out his switch blade and headed for the closet door. My eyes went wide. I rushed forward and pulled Dean back.

"No." I stood between him and the door. Dean looked shocked.

"What, you're defending this prick?" he asked disbelievingly. Now he looked angry and hurt.

"Dean," I smiled at him, "He didn't do anything. I promise you, I'd tell you if I needed you. I had everything under control." I reassured him.

It wasn't the complete truth but I think Dean thought I was being overpowered here. Logically he should know that would never happen, I'd always find a way to slip out, but I guess rationality disappears when you see your younger sister in such a situation.

His anger diffused slightly and Sam walked to the door.

Shit. I didn't think I'd have to show Sam reason. He pulled out Kade and held him up by his jacket.

"You walk straight to the gym, you don't turn back, you don't tell anyone what just happened and you don't even think about going near her again." Sam threatened calmly. Kade, for lack of better words, was shitting himself. "Or I will find you and I will string you up by your balls." Sam dropped Kade to the ground. He stumbled to his feet and took off running to the gym.

My brothers turned to me and I shook my head in disbelief.

"I can handle my own. Both of you know that." I smiled disbelievingly and confused. Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and Sam raised his eyebrows.

"He was on you and you… you pushed… and then he came back." Dean paused. "It's all very confusing from a distance." He said frowning. I smirked and shook my head at him. What would I do without Dean?

"Well now you know how I felt when I first saw you with Cassie. She looked like a Wendigo and she was eating your face." I remarked. It was no secret I hated Cassie and one our first encounters had been me pulling a gun on her while she was in bed with Dean. Her hair made me all kinds of confused so it really wasn't my fault.

Sam laughed out right but Dean gave me an evil look. Then he pointed to my top.

"Are you bleeding?" he asked. I looked down and saw the jock's blood on me.

"Ugh, it's from the guy who no longer has a hand… he was only a few feet away from me when it happened." I replied. Dean's eyes widened.

"Did you see anything strange before it happened?" he asked intrigued. I looked to Sam instead.

"Well, the kid who did it, the one with the ectoplasm," I pointed to my own ear, "he was really mono-tone before that, kind of like he was in a trance. The jock was bullying him; forcing him to hand over his homework so he could copy it. Then the guy snapped, he called the jock a 'brain-dead dick,'" Dean and I smiled at that, "then he grabbed his hand and shoved it in. Just…" I mimicked a nuclear explosion. "Everywhere."

"Well that makes more sense now." Sam said to himself.

"Huh?" I asked. What was I missing? Sam looked to me and remembered I still wasn't filled in.

"Oh, Barry Cook." He handed me a sheet of paper with a medical report on a death that occurred in the school. "I knew him when we came here. He killed himself in the girl's bathroom," Sam paused and I raised my eyebrows. Girl's bathroom… now we were getting somewhere. "We think he's possessing the nerds and going for the bullies." Sam explained.

"Well, does that sound like Barry's M.O.?" Dean asked. Sam frowned and stayed silent for a while.

"Barry had a hard time." He said slowly. I looked at Dean and neither of us wanted to push it with Sam.

"Okay, salt and burn tonight?" I asked Sam. He broke out of his thoughts and looked at us.

"Sure." He sighed.

* * *

It was past midnight and we were at Barry's grave. I was sitting on the hood of the Impala while Sam salted and fueled Barry's bones. Dean threw in the lit match and we watched Barry go up in flames. Dean handed me the shovels and I packed them in the trunk.

"So long, Barry Cook." Dean said as he shut the trunk. Sam didn't look himself. After we were driving for about five minutes, Dean decided to break the silence in the car.

"You all right?" he asked Sam.

"Barry was my friend. I just burned his bones." Sam replied. I stared out the window at the rain thinking about Barry; trying to put a personality to the name.

"Well, he's at peace now, Sam." Dean attempted to make Sam feel better.

"I mean, if Dad had let us stay just a little while longer, maybe I could have helped the kid, you know?" he said helplessly. I leaned forward and put my arms around Sam's neck from behind. Dean glanced at me and then looked to Sam.

"You read the coroner's report same as me. Barry was on every anxiety drug and antidepressant known to man. School was hell for that kid. His parents had split up. He just wanted out. It was tragic, but it's not your fault." Dean reassured Sam.

"I'm sorry Sam." I said quietly. I kissed him on the cheek and rested the side of my face against his. I understood Sam's pain. That helplessness is what we both felt when Dean made that deal. It's what Dean and I felt when we watched that blade enter Sam's spine. It what we felt when that hellhound ripped Dean open and dragged him to hell.

"To tell you the truth, I'm glad we got out of that town. I hated that school." Dean remarked. I still didn't know why he hated the school and I had a feeling I'd never know.

"It wasn't all bad." Sam recalled. Dean chuckled humorlessly.

"How can you say that after what happened to you?" he asked. I remembered what Dean was referring to. Sam didn't have the easiest time at Truman either.

* * *

**Truman High School - November, 1997**

Although Truman High and Truman Primary were separated, their fields were connected. I was on the monkey bars, or something of the sort, when I looked over to football field. My eyes caught Sam sitting on the bleachers and Dean pacing in front of him. I dropped from wherever I was and started running towards them. I didn't like that school kept me apart from them for six to seven hours a day. As I got closer, their conversation became clearer.

"That kid's dead." Dean stated.

"Dean." Sam said warily. He noticed me bounding towards them smiling and smiled back.

"I'm gonna rip his lungs out!" Dean yelled.

"Dean!" I was close enough now. Dean turned his head and saw me. He turned around, smiled and opened his arms. I came barreling into him and he lifted me up in his embrace. I hugged him tight.

"Hey there ankle-biter."

"Hi!" I rested my head on his shoulder. I loved the smell of his jacket. He put me down and kept his hand on my shoulder. I pulled away and climbed the bleachers so I could sit with Sam.

"Hey Sammy."

He smiled at me.

"Hey Lexie."

I noticed a cut near his lip and I frowned.

"What happened?" I asked. He didn't respond so I looked to Dean.

"Sam got beaten up by some kid in his year." Dean explained to me, still pacing in anger. My eyes widened. I had never seen anyone beat Sammy in a fight except Dean or Dad. Sam was so good at fighting!

"No!" I gasped at Sam.

"It's not a big deal." Sam said quietly.

"Not a big deal? Sammy, look at yourself. If Dad was here-" Dean started.

"He's not." Sam pointed out.

"Well, I am! And as soon I'm finished with that dick-" Dean threatened.

"Shut up, okay?! I don't need your help." He told Dean who paused for a moment.

"That's right, you don't. You could have torn him apart. So why didn't you?" he asked. Sam looked down, trying to phrase his answer correctly.

"Because I don't want to be the freak for once, Dean. I want to be normal." He explained.

I was normal and I didn't get beaten up. And if I did, Dean would make sure whoever did it… disappeared.

"So taking a beating - that's normal?" Dean asked with his eyebrows raised. Sam didn't have an answer.

"Any word from Dad?" Sam asked. Dean's face changed to an expression of disappointment. He pulled out his phone from his jacket and checked for any calls.

"He called this morning, said he's going to be another week at least. We weren't supposed to be here this long." He complained.

"At least you've got Amanda. She's cool." Sam said. I smiled. I liked Amanda, she was nice.

"I like Amanda," I said, "she's nice." I echoed my thoughts. Dean looked uncomfortable.

"She wants me to meet her parents. I don't do parents." Dean stated.

The bell rang and I stood up. Dean put out his hands and I reached for him. He pulled me off the bleachers and placed me on the ground.

"Better run back to your side Lex." He said as he let go. I didn't wait to say goodbye but rather yelled it back to them as I sprinted off to class. If I was fast, the teachers wouldn't even know I had visited the fields.

* * *

**Present Day**

Dean pulled up to the entrance of Truman High. Sam wanted to go back and speak to a teacher named Mr. Wyatt. I had a feeling Sam was reliving some monumental moment in his life, possibly one that led him to attend college. Unlike Dean, I had gone to college but it was all online. I had a degree in science and if this world ever cleaned itself up, I could put that degree to use. The whole college experience was a lot more important to Sam though and I believed it was because he met Jess there. I wish I'd had the chance to get to know her, she seemed awesome.

"We came back here so you could talk to a teacher?" Dean queried sarcastically. I shot him a dirty look.

"He's a good guy." Sam justified.

"Well, whatever. Go have your Robin Williams 'O captain! My captain!' moment. Just make it quick." He said as he turned on the radio. Sam got up and left. Once he was out of ear shot I leaned over the seat and shut the radio off glaring at Dean.

"You're a real ass sometimes you know that." I hissed at him. He turned around confused… and angry that I had touched the radio.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Education is important to Sam. If he wants to go talk to a long lost teacher, you should be more sensitive about it." I said angrily.

"Hey, we're here aren't we?" he raised an eyebrow like he had done Sam a huge favor. I rolled my eyes and opened the back door.

"You don't have to be a dick about it." I told him as I shut the door. Dean turned, surprised as to why I was getting out.

"Where are you going?" he asked as I walked away.

"To support Sam." I shot at him and I walked into the school. I followed the stairs to where I remembered Sam pointing out his class. I turned the corner in time to see a teenage girl stab Sam in the chest with a pair of scissors.

What the fuck?

"Sammy!" I yelled and started running towards him.

"You got tall, Winchester." She said before kicking Sam in the nuts and then in the face. Sam fell instantly. I jumped on the bitch from behind but she was expecting me. She twisted around, stabbed my side and threw me into one of the locker bays. Sam was still on the floor and the girl was getting closer.

I saw ectoplasm drip from her mouth and I pushed myself up. She reached out for Sam but he grabbed her instead and shoved salt down her throat. Her body shook causing a black figure to rip itself away from the girl and shoot up into the wall, disappearing from sight. The girl collapsed in Sam's arms and he sat back holding her tightly to his chest. I pulled out my phone and hit speed dial. I pulled myself to the window, holding my bleeding wound with my other hand and looked down at the Impala. I saw Dean pick up his phone.

"Calling to apologize?" he asked in a cocky tone.

"Dean." I croaked.

His face changed and his eyes shot up to the window I was at. He saw me leaning against it and he saw me holding my side. Then he was out of the car and in the building. It took him nine seconds to reach our floor and he rushed to Sam.

"I'm fine." He said whilst holding his wound and the girl. Dean grabbed the girl from him and placed her against the wall. He knelt in front of Sam and checked the wound. Sam's hands had his blood stained on them but since she hit his chest, the scissors didn't go in too deep. He motioned towards me and Dean turned to see me holding myself up.

My hands were covered in blood and Dean rushed to my side. He pressed his hands on the wound and held me up.

"Poltergeist is still here." I said weakly. I leaned into him and he kept his hand on the wound.

"I figured," he pulled me forward. "Let's get you patched up, come on."

* * *

It was two hours later and Dean had parked the car in the forest. He had stitched us both up and I swore the whole way through. He had to pinch my bruise in order to stick the needle in and it was not pleasant.

Dean brought out whiskey from the trunk. He handed it to Sam.

"Trust me. This will help." He directed to the both of us. Sam offered me the bottle but I refused. I didn't drink. "That ghost is dead. I'm gonna rip its lungs out!" Dean yelled pacing in front of us. Sam and I looked up at him. "Well, you know what I mean." He said continuing his pacing.

"It knew my name, Dean. My real name. We burned Barry's bones. What the hell?" Sam said with a confused look. Dean had opened the file and was skimming through it.

"Well, maybe it wasn't Barry. Maybe we missed something. We just got to go back." He paused at a page and looked at it intently.

"What?" I asked while grimacing in pain.

"No way. How did we not see this before?" he walked over to us and handed us the file.

"What?" Sam asked, still not following.

"Check it out - Look, Martha Dumptruck, Revenge of the Nerds, and Hello Kitty - they rode the same bus." He pointed out.

"Okay, so maybe the bus is haunted." Sam stated the obvious.

"Well, that would explain why there's no EMF at the school, but not the attacks. I mean, ghosts are tied to the places that they haunt. They can't just bail." Dean complained. I got up and walked away from the car heading towards the water on the opposite side.

"Unless this one can." He paused and thought about it. "Dean, there's lore about spirits possessing people and riding them for miles, then whenever they leave the body, they're bungeed back to their usual haunt. But until then, the ghosts can go wherever they want." He reveled.

I crouched beside the water, out of Sam and Dean's sight, and lifted my top to see my wounds in the water's reflection. The bruises had gone darker again. What was going on?

"So a spook just grabs a kid on the bus and walks right into Truman?" Dean asked.

"It's possible." Sam replied. I sat down at the edge of the lake and leaned against the ground.

"Ghosts getting creative - well, that's super." Dean said as he pulled out another drink. "Care to join us?" He called to me from the car. I smiled to myself.

"That's the first thing Kade said to me." I called back. There was silence for a moment I knew Sam and Dean were trying to figure out who Kade was. "The guy who was with me at the lockers." I grinned imagining Dean's face.

"Don't even get me started on him." Dean growled. I got up and walked back over to them, ready to get moving again.

* * *

We were in the school bus searching for some sort of clue that would lead us to the ghost. Sam had his EMF reader out and it was buzzing like a bee.

"Definitely ain't clean." Sam called from the back. I was hanging off the front seat and looking under the rows of seats.

"Here, ghosty, ghosty, ghosty! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Dean sang.

"Man, I don't get it. No one ever died on this bus, and it's not like there's a body hidden in here." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, but a flap of skin, a hair, I mean, hell, a hangnail - something's got to be tying the ghost to this place. We just got to find it." Dean said as he moved past Sam.

"Maybe it's underneath." I suggested. "Don't move the bus." I called as I hopped outside and slid under the yellow vehicle. I searched the metal piping for something useful.

"Got a new driving permit. Issued two weeks ago." I heard Dean say from above.

"Just before the first attack." Sam confirmed.

"Yeah. Name of the bus driver is Dirk McGregor Sr., 39 North Central Avenue."

"McGregor?" Sam asked. I wriggled closer to the front of the bus, still searching the piping.

"Yeah. Why?" Dean asked.

"I knew his son." Sam replied. I stopped in my tracks. Jesus, Sam the social butterfly.

"Did you know everybody at this school?" Dean questioned skeptically. "Ankle-biter, we got a lead." He called me up. I rolled out and climbed onto the bus.

"McGregor." I repeated. "Didn't you fight him out the front?" I asked.

Sam nodded.

* * *

**Truman High School - November, 1997**

I was waiting for Sam and Dean out at the front of the school. The primary kids got let out ten minutes earlier and so I was sitting on the garden bed watching the cars drive by. The bell rang and kids began piling out. A bigger kid, who I later learnt was Dirk, came and pushed Sam's friend Barry to the ground. The group of kids around them seemed scared of Dirk and unsure of what to do. I saw Sam walk out a few seconds later and I grabbed my bag. Before he even looked in my direction he walked ahead to where Dirk was picking on Barry.

"Got to watch where you're going, man." Dirk said to Barry, who was on his knees. I hopped off the garden bed and walked to the circle.

"Leave him alone, Dirk." Sam defended Barry.

"You never learn, do you, midget?" Dirk threatened Sam. I narrowed my eyes. Sam held his hand out to Barry and helped him up.

"Get to the bus, Barry." He told him. Barry ran off and Sam walked past Dirk and towards me. Then Dirk pushed Sam onto the floor, at my feet. I bent down.

"Sammy?" I whispered. He kept his eyes on the ground but I could see he was getting mad.

"It's okay Lex, just stay back." He told me.

"What's the matter? You scared? Don't worry. I'll go easy on you this time. Come on, Lose-chester. Let's see what you got." I glared at Dirk but he brushed it off.

"Sammy, I'll fight him." I stated. Sam got up and put a restraining hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, freak! Freak!" Dirk yelled. Sam spun around and pushed Dirk hard. He stumbled back, surprised at Sam's strength. He swung at Sam but Sam ducked and jabbed Dirk in the gut. Dirk doubled over in pain. Sam stepped back into a fighting stance and Dirk swung again. Sam ducked this one too and then punched Dirk in the stomach, followed by knee in the gut.

The crowd was getting louder and Sam punched a hunched Dirk in the face. Once on the right, twice on the right and finally on the left. He kicked the back of Dirk's knee so he crumbled to the floor. Dirk looked up at Sam. I was glad this bully was getting what he deserved but I didn't like the helpless look on his face. Sam threw an uppercut causing Dirk to fall flat on his back. He walked over to Dirk and looked down at him.

"You're not tough. You're just a jerk. 'Dirk the jerk.'" He spat at Dirk. The crowd began chanting 'Dirk the jerk' excited over the events which had just unfolded. Embarrassed, Dirk picked himself up and hastily walked away from the crowd. Sam picked up his bag and grabbed my hand.

"Come on Lex." He said, leading me away from the commotion.

* * *

**Present Day**

Sam and Dean had gone to talk to Mr. McGregor in the day while I was keeping watch at school. They had learnt that Dirk came from a poor family, his father was working three jobs and his mother had cancer. Kids used to tease Dirk and after his mother passed, he turned to a life of drinking and drugs. It was no surprise that he died soon after that.

Mr. McGregor had Dirk cremated except for a lock of hair he kept in the bible on his bus. We we're heading to that bus tonight, before someone else died at Dirk's hand.

It was close to midnight and we were waiting for the bus to hit the road spikes we had planted. Sam had his gun cocked and was waiting in the trees alongside Dean and myself. The bus was flying down the road, and I was pretty certain Dirk was making an appearance tonight. The bus drove over the spikes and the tires went limp within seconds. The bus skidded to a halt and we waited quietly.

Slowly the driver emerged from the bus and waited by its side. He was waiting for us to show ourselves. Dean slipped behind the bus while Sam and I took the front. I kept hidden as Sam presented himself with his gun raised.

"Dirk!" Sam yelled at him. He turned his head to look at Sam.

"Winchester. What are you gonna do, shoot me?" Dirk sneered. Dean snuck up behind Dirk and wrapped the salt water soaked rope around him.

"Don't need to. That rope is soaked in salt water, Dirk. You're not going anywhere." I ran into the bus with Dean following closely behind.

"All right, everybody stay where you are. You'll be okay." Dean reassured everybody. I looked around and saw Kade sitting towards the end of the bus. Oh shit. His eyes widened when he saw Dean and he sunk lower into his seat. I should probably apologize to him later. I shifted through the books, looking for the bible.

"Aren't you the P.E. Teacher?" one of the kids asked.

"Not really. I'm like '21 Jump Street.'" Dean paused and smiled. Nobody responded. "The bus driver sells pot. Yeah." He widened his eyes like he was shocked.

"It's not here Dean!" I said to him. He looked at me and then took the bible for himself. He shook it hard but nothing dropped out.

"It's not here!" Dean yelled to Sam. I started looking through the other books and Dean got off the bus to go help Sam.

"Where is it?" I heard Sam ask.

"No way you'll ever find it." Dirk replied. I watched them in the side mirror. Sam walked up to Dirk and placed the shotgun on his chest.

"Where is it?!" he yelled.

"Sam Winchester. Still a bully. You, you jocks... you popular kids... you always thought you were better than everybody else. And to you, I was just Dirk the jerk, right? Now you evil sons of bitches are gonna get what's coming to you." Dirk threatened Sam. I was still checking the dashboard for the lock of hair.

"I'm not evil, Dirk. I'm not. And neither were you. Trust me. I've seen real evil. We were scared and miserable, and we took it out on each other - us and everybody else. That's high school. But you suffer through that, and it gets better. I'm just sorry you didn't get a chance to see that... you or Barry." Sam said. I could hear the pain in his voice.

"Nothing is gonna get better for me. Not ever." Dirk burst out of the ropes and started moving towards Sam in fury. Sam stepped back and shot Dirk in the chest twice. He fell back onto the road. I spun around and started looking in the seat for the lock of hair. The bullets would only keep him down for so long. Someone got out of their seat and walked towards me. I stood up, ready to tell them to calm down and that we had everything under control until I noticed the ectoplasm oozing from his nose.

"Surprise."

The new 'Dirk' grabbed my jacket and pulled me up so my legs were dangling. Then he flung me with full force, straight out of the bus. I skid across the asphalt and rolled into the long grass along the side of the road. Sam and Dean turned in time to see Dirk charge at Sam.

My face and arms were grazed and bleeding. I had pulled the stitch from yesterday as well and the force of my landing had probably given me a concussion. I couldn't lift myself up.

Sam grunted as Dirk sat on top of him and began throwing punches. Dean grabbed the gun and shot Dirk in the back but it didn't do much.

"Dean! Find the hair!" Sam yelled from beneath Dirk. I had to help them. I tried desperately to pull myself up and when I finally did, I staggered a few steps and fell onto my knees, clutching the wound where I was stabbed yesterday.

Dean was searching the bus driver.

"Hey, buddy, this isn't what it looks like." He joked. He pulled off the driver's shoe and found the hair. Dean fell back against the bus and took out his lighter. The world went hazy and I had trouble keeping things in focus. I heard a loud scream followed by a flash of light.

"Little help?" Sam gasped. Dean chuckled. The large jock had fallen on top of Sam.

"He's giving you the full cowgirl." Dean laughed. He got up and helped Sam push the guy off him. Sam continued to lie on the ground, catching his breath.

I pushed myself up and managed to stand. I was losing a lot of blood but I just pushed against the wound knowing I'd be okay. Hunched so I could keep the blood flow to a minimum, I slowly started walking over to my brothers. They were both panting and finally Dean turned around, his eyes searching for me.

"Lex?" he asked watching me.

"I'm good." I replied weakly. He started walking towards me anyway. Suddenly I couldn't hold myself up. My knees buckled and I fell.

"Alexis!" Dean ran towards me. He caught me just before my knees hit the ground and pulled me up. He got me to stand and I gripped Dean's jacket for support before my knees gave out again. Sam had run over and they each stood on either side of me, holding me up.

"I'm bleeding…" I informed them weakly.

"Yeah, we noticed." Sam pressed his hand against the stab wound. "How exactly?" Sam asked me.

"Your friend threw me out of the bus, before he charged at you." I said to Sam. My knees kept buckling and before I knew it, Dean had put his arm under my knees and I was in his arms as he held me close.

"You're hurt." I protested as I applied pressure to my wound. He started walking towards the car.

"I'm fine." Was all he said in response.

* * *

The next morning Dean and I were sitting in the Impala while Sam went to talk to his teacher, hopefully without any poltergeist interruptions. Dean was kind about it this time and I was glad that Sam could enjoy whatever it was he wanted to do. I leaned against the passenger door with my feet up on the seats and watched Dean pick a station.

"Go back one." I said to him. He changed the dial and 'Long, Long Way From Home' by Foreigner came on. He nodded in approval and then his expression changed. He was staring at something behind me. I twisted in my comfortable position and looked out the window to see Kade standing at the entrance to the school watching us.

Dean took out his gun and went to open the door.

"This kid is just asking for it." Dean said to himself.

"Dean! Wait." I called out to him. He stopped and ducked his head down from outside the car so he could see me.

"He's provoking me Lex! Look at him just standing there looking at you… in plain sight!" he yelled in annoyance.

"Let me handle this, okay?" I asked as I got out of the car. Dean glared at Kade and then looked to me.

"Two minutes." He said, "Any longer and I'm taking it as a distress call."

"Thank-you," I was grateful, "now put your gun away." I said to him as I walked towards Kade. His eyes were on Dean the whole time.

"Hey." I said walking up to him. His eyes didn't move.

"Is that guy going to kill me?" he asked. I turned and squinted in the sun to see Dean leaning against the Impala, watching Kade. I turned back to Kade.

"No, he's just making sure I'm okay." I reassured him. I finally had his attention. He was looking at the grazes and cuts on my face. "Sorry about what happened earlier." I told him. He just stared at me.

"Who are you?" he asked me. I laughed at his question.

"I'm Alexis Winchester." I replied. "I told you that already." He smiled at my response.

"Okay, what is it that you do?" he asked more specifically. I thought of a way I could phrase our job without using Dean's 'saving people, hunting things, the family business' line.

"I help out in places where people are struggling. Let's put it at that." I answered. He looked away for a brief moment.

"I like you a lot." He said to me. Well, wasn't he a cutie…

"Kade," I said slowly, "I'm twenty-one." I informed him. He looked up shocked and then groaned quietly. "What?" I asked.

"That's so much hotter than when you were seventeen." He complained. I chuckled at that.

"Listen, do yourself a favor and stay away from your cheerleader friends. They're bad news." I advised him. He looked conflicted. "I know they're hot but it'll be good for you. Also, I have a request."

"And what's that?" he asked expectantly.

"Be nice to Matilda, give her a shot. You're a really nice guy and she's a really nice girl. Don't let your cliques stop you from meeting nice people." I told him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Matilda?" he asked. I nodded. "I'll keep it in mind."

"You'd be surprised." I told him as I turned to leave.

"Wait." He stopped me. "Are you spoken for?" he said motioning to Dean. I chuckled at his prehistoric language and shook my head.

"No. He's my brother." I explained. A look of comprehension came over Kade's face.

"I guess I'd be that protective too, if I had a sister as gorgeous as you" he admitted. I started walking away from Kade, still facing him.

"Smooth lines kid." I winked at him. I left Kade at the entrance and walked back to the Impala. I seated myself in the front seat like I had before. Dean's eyes followed Kade as he walked away.

"Dean." I called him. He continued to stare until Kade had disappeared into the school.

"Yeah?" he replied. I ran my fingers over grazes on my arm.

"I think I have to take the week off." I said slowly. Dean looked down and then glanced out his window before looking at me.

"I know." He stated.

I was surprised. I didn't think Dean would agree but I knew I had to rest. Any move I made simply re-opened old wounds and they weren't healing. I had one too many and it was time they stopped donating my blood to the ground.

"We'll swing by Bobby's and drop you off." He told me. He didn't seem happy about it.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked cautiously. He was watching the school building.

"No." he said simply. I was taken aback at his abruptness. I was about to defend my decision when he looked at me. "I don't like the idea of you being away from us…but I need you to be on your A-game." He answered. Then he stayed silent.

"You're worried I'm going to do something stupid." I stated for him. I knew that was the reason. "And you're angry because you have to worry about it."

"No. No, I'm angry because there are sons of bitches out there that are using us as your weakness and for that reason, I don't feel right about leaving you behind." He explained. I could see the anger in his eyes.

"I won't leave, Dean" I reassured him. We sat in silence.

Sam walked out of the school looking unhappier than he did when he walked in. He got in the back and Dean started the car without another word. I looked up at the school building and saw Matilda standing at the window. I waved and she smiled in return.

At least I had done something useful here.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter, the next one will be up in either a week or two.

Remember to check out the one-shot I've also just posted, **Alexis Winchester - The Benders**, which is part of this series. You can find it by clicking on my profile link!

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**Jasmine - **Thank-you so much for your kind review!

**Liz.H - **Thank-you for your kind words. I can't reveal why Alexis feels the way she feels just yet, so I'm very sorry about that but all will be revealed eventually.

Feel free to message me anytime :)

**REVIEW BELOW xx**

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	15. Chapter 15 - Sex and Violence

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! Finally got the next chapter up :D Hope you guys enjoy it!

**NOTE: Over the last week I have edited chapter 1 through to 10. **My brother pointed out some very obvious plot flaws so I had to go back and rewrite parts of them. Please go back and re-read them in your own time, it's worth the trouble.

Also, remember to check out the one-shot I wrote last week for this series, **Alexis Winchester - The Benders**. Please check it out and let me know what you think!

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; the-destiel-shipper, Sara.B, Emilyrose475, lisab2012, sammygrrl00, emily2696 and -you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 15 – Sex And Violence**

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

It was strange being away from Sam and Dean. I had never needed time alone to 'do my own thing' because I was well adapted to my current lifestyle. So far, I had never had the urge to do anything secretly. I respected my brothers enough to tell them what was going on in my life and what was on my mind.

My time at Bobby's was really just for me to take a break from hunting, long enough for me to heal. I had a lot of free time on my hands, so my plan was to research the god forsaken bracelet and gain some insight as to what actually happened to me while I was gone.

Like I said… that was the plan.

Without Sam or Dean to give me a shove every now and then… I became lazy. My bed became my best friend and I spent a lot of my time reading or watching movies. Bobby was out for days at a time and so he never knew what I did, but I was fully aware that I was wasting time.

It had been a week and a half since Dean reluctantly dropped me off. I had taken the stiches out of my abdomen and wrist, my cuts were healing, the bruises that I had received from being thrown onto the road were healing and my other 'strange' bruises had remained the same.

Sam and Dean had been on a few easy hunts in the meantime and I was kind of missing them. I wanted to get back in the field and hunt again. My body was ready for some action, my muscles ached to be used and I felt healthy.

Convincing my brothers that I was ready, was a different story altogether. Sam was reluctant and Dean was at a standstill. Every time he called I could hear that he wanted me back but he was also very conscious of the fact that I needed to heal. I had tried to convince him I was fine but Bobby, the traitor, had told Dean he thought I needed a little more time. Maybe I should have told Bobby that I was doing absolutely nothing productive in the day and he'd kick me out.

I was bored out of my mind and so far it had been the quietest week I could remember… I was hoping that wouldn't last long.

* * *

My phone rang early in the morning and I rolled over in bed to pick it up.

"Hello?" I asked groggily with my eyes still shut.

"How are you feeling?"

It was Dean.

I sat up straight in bed and rubbed my eyes.

"Hey Dean." I greeted him happily. "I'm fine. Super-fine. Please come pick me up." I begged him. This was close to what our conversations had been like for the past few days. I heard him sigh on the other end.

"No." he said simply. I fell forward on my face groaning.

"Deeeeeean." I whined. "I'm bored out of my mind! Come and get me, please. Pretty, pretty please." I sang in agony. He had to cave at some point, right?

"Lex," he said warily. I could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose and then running his finger and thumb over his eyebrows. "You need your rest." He told me. No. I was done with resting.

"Dean, I have had too much rest. This lack of movement is bad for my health." I told him matter-of-factly.

"Uh-huh." He replied without emotion.

"No, I'm serious. I ran up the stairs the other day… and I was a little out of breath. Not gonna lie Dean, it was pretty scary." I said to him. It had surprised me at the time but it was just proof that I needed to be back on the job.

"God, you're so dramatic." He complained from his end. "Lex, take it easy. We'll pick you up in a couple of days." He told me. The wind was blowing into his mouthpiece and I was having a little trouble hearing him.

"I'm sorry; did you say a couple of days?" I asked not willing to believe that he was leaving me here longer than he had promised.

"Yeah, Sammy found us a case in Bedford, Iowa." He informed me not able to pick up on my shock.

"You're ditching me?" I asked in disbelief. "You assholes! Come pick me up." I almost shouted into the phone. How could they leave me behind?

"Lex." Dean sounded angrier. "Cut it out. I'm not going to tell you again; you're staying put and we'll come pick you up after we finish this case. Got it?" he asked me using his 'this is an order voice'. Although Dean had never given me an order, he still needed to discipline me a times, and he changed his voice when he meant business. I huffed in anger and suppressed the urge to hang up on him.

"Yes sir." I said through gritted teeth. He hated it when I called him 'sir' and now he'd definitely know I was pissed at him.

"Good." He told me without offering any consolation. "And don't call me that." He said; his voice softer now.

"Yes sir." I replied and I heard him exhale in frustration just before I hung up. Jeez, he was being a real dick and what a brilliant way to start the morning. I sat in silence for a minute and then realized how annoying I was being. I sighed and hung my head as I reached for my phone and hit speed dial.

I heard the click on the other end.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. There was silence over the phone.

"Just this hunt, I promise." Dean replied firmly. "Then we'll get you back on the road." He assured me. I leaned back in bed and smiled.

"And what's stopping me from taking one of Bobby's cars and just meeting you in Bedford?" I asked imagining his face if I did just happen to show up.

"You promised me you weren't going anywhere." He replied plainly catching me off guard.

"Hey, I meant I wasn't going-" I started trying to defend my promise.

"Can I trust you to stay at Bobby's?" he cut me off. I shut my eyes in defeat. He was not playing fair, but then again, I didn't play fair when I ran away. I would have loved to just grab a car and meet up with them but Dean was testing me. He wanted me to earn his trust back and he was using it against me now because he knew how important it was to me. Pushing my ego aside, I made a decision.

"Yes. You can trust me." I replied disheartened.

"Good, we're finally getting somewhere." He paused for a moment, contemplating something. My guess, he had some sort of news for me. He sighed. "I think Sam was talking to Ruby this morning." He said sullenly. That got my attention. Not Ruby. God please, why Ruby? I was so sick and tired of her.

"What? How do you know?" I asked him already hating the fact her name had been mentioned in this conversation.

"Sam thought I was asleep and he was in the bathroom, talking to someone about a hunt. Pretty sure it was her." Dean informed me in frustration. I really wished I was with them so I could slap Sam over the head and ease Dean's tension.

"And he didn't mention he was on the phone?" I asked Dean. Maybe Sam _was_ talking to another hunter about a hunt.

"No. His words were 'No storms, no bad crops, nothing… We'll keep looking. You keep looking too.'" Dean relayed to me and I shook my head. It must've been Ruby. "He's keeping secrets." Dean said. It sounded like he was talking to himself now and we had to fix this.

"You want me rough her up?" I asked Dean. I had a lot of time on my hands.

"Who? Ruby? No! I told you to stay put." He replied as I got out of bed and walked to the window.

"It was just a suggestion." I scoffed at his reaction.

"Yeah, no more suggestions out of your mutated brain. I've got to worry about this case, not you going head to head with Sam's demon booty call." He complained. I scrunched my nose at the thought of booty call.

"What's the case about anyway?" I asked, my inner hunter desperate for a fix.

"Um… Guy beat his wife's brains out with a meat tenderizer. Third local inside two months to gank his wife. No priors on any of 'em, all happily married." He broke it down for me. Yikes. Meat tenderizer would have left a pretty gruesome after image.

"Talk about your marital problems." I murmured.

"Yeah, Sam and I interviewed the husband, Benson. He's pleading guilty, says he killed her because she made plans without asking him."

"Jesus. Controlling much." I responded. Some people were just sick.

"Yeah, I know." Dean voice mirrored mine. "He said he knew exactly what he was doing; he loved her, happily married, yada, yada, yada." Dean paused. "But we got a hold of his credit card bills and Mr. Aggressive was dropping late night plastic on a shady joint listed under 'M & C Entertainment'." Dean chuckled. I shook my head.

"Even I know you're meant to deal in cash." I sighed.

"Anyways, he was buttering up a stripper by the name of Jasmine," he started and I laughed. A girl named Jasmine, probably going to be a stripper. "I know, I know." Dean said knowingly over the phone like had already dished out enough jokes. "She was 'perfect' to him, the guy was totally whipped but the wife never knew about his after-hours rendezvous. Get this, he ganked her because Jasmine told him to. No address, no first name, no last name… it's like she never existed." He finished.

"And why did 'Jasmine' want the wife dead if she wasn't going to stick around?" I asked Dean.

"Beats me. We're at the hospital now and Sam's about to question the doc who handled the work-up's. We figure there might be some drug we're missing out on. If not, we visit the strip club." He told me happily. I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I can see how this job is taking its toll on you." I replied sarcastically.

"All for the cause Lex. Alright, I gotta get in there before Sam drools all over the doc. Keep your nose clean and get some rest." He told me hanging up before I could get a word in.

"I've had enough rest." I told the dial tone. It was time I got off my ass and did something useful.

* * *

For the first time since I got there, I sat at Bobby's desk and started researching. First up, I pulled out all the books on angels. I figured if I knew enough about what pressed heaven's buttons, then I could figure out why Uriel was working with the demons. Next were books on demons, more specifically Lilith, the first demon. There wasn't a great deal on her but I'd take what I could get. And then came books on silver charms that fucked with your mind. It was a broad category but I was willing to work through it.

Before I had the chance to sit down after organizing the books, my phone rang. It was Sammy.

"Yellow." I greeted him happily pushing all Ruby related anger to the back of my brain. I missed Sasquatch too as much as I hated to admit it.

"Hey Lex, you're on speaker." He told me, which meant Dean was nearby. I put the phone between my right ear and shoulder so my hands were free to do some work.

"What's up?" I asked as I moved a few of the demon books onto the desk.

"What do you know about Oxytocin?" Sam asked me. I put the books down and held the phone in my hand again.

"Um… it's a hormone… produced during childbirth, lactation and sex. Why?" I asked now very curious.

"The men who killed their wives had crazy high levels of it in their system." He replied. Well that was strange.

"As far as I know, men shouldn't have high levels of oxytocin in their blood. The only way it can really get there is through injection. It would make them really happy." I explained.

"Well listen to this, the other two men, Whylie and Snyder, totally fessed up." Sam told me.

"One emptied his IRA, the other, his kids' college fund, all on the same day." Dean continued. "Live nude girls at a club called 'The Honey Wagon'." He said as I heard them walk outside.

"That much money on strippers?" I asked shocked.

"Female charms are powerful things Lex." Dean told me.

"These guys have affairs too, with a stripper also known as Jasmine?" Sam asked Dean. I smiled again at the name Jasmine. She was always my favorite Disney princess.

"Yes and no. This is where it gets interesting. Each guy hooked up with a different chick." Dean explained.

"Different how?" I asked.

"Different description of the girls and different names. Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel." Dean replied. I almost tripped over the pile of books I was pacing in front of. No way.

"So, what? These girls all connected somehow?" Sam asked.

"Guys?" I tried to interrupt.

"Well, they all described their stripper in the same way, the exact same way. Perfect, and everything that they wanted." Dean told Sam. I needed them to listen to me.

"Hey, guys?" I asked again.

"Yeah, at least until dream Barbie convinced them to murder their wives." Sam either ignored me or didn't hear me.

"There's that." Dean agreed.

"It's almost like they were under some kinda love spell." Sam added. Well that was because of the oxytocin, what was commonly known as the 'love drug'. "Which caused them to become totally psychotic."

"Absolutely." Dean's voice got a little distant as if he was a few feet away from Sam.

"Hey!" I yelled. They stopped talking. "You listening?" I asked them.

"Yeah, go ahead." Sam replied.

"You're looking for a girl named either Snow, Belle or Cindie." I informed them. There was silence on the other end.

"How do you know that?" Dean asked confused. I grinned and commended myself on my vast knowledge of cinema.

"Jasmine, Aurora and Ariel? Dean you're naming Disney princesses. The other three are Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty from Beauty and the Beast, otherwise known as Belle. My money's on Belle." I replied.

"Go figure." Sam murmured. "You seem pretty cheery." He said. It wasn't directed at me.

"Strippers, Sammy. Strippers. We're on an actual case involving strippers. Finally." He said happily as I heard him open the door to the Impala. I stuck my tongue out in disgust.

"Still on the phone." I reminded them.

"She's killing my buzz, Sammy." Dean stated. Sam sighed.

"Talk to you later, Lex. I'll call if we find out anything else." He said before he hung up. I took a deep breath and stared at the pile of books. Time to get to work.

* * *

After a couple of hours of research I did find a few interesting facts. Of course I couldn't entirely rely on the books because some of the information in them, I knew for a fact was wrong. Many of the books claimed that Uriel was an arch-angel, which I knew he wasn't, so either he was demoted a while back or the books were wrong. I had a feeling Cas would have told us if 'Chuckles' had dropped ranks so I went with 'the books weren't all fact'.

What I did find was that Uriel was identified as the angel of repentance who 'stands at the Gate of Eden with a fiery sword' and he was often graphically represented as being as pitiless as any demon. I could vouch for the books on the last one.

I remembered Uriel had described Lucifer as being a very powerful Archangel who hated humanity for being so impure. We had seen time and time again that Uriel had no respect for humans so maybe he felt an allegiance to Lucifer. It was a bit of a stretch, but it was a theory.

There was nothing on Lilith but I wasn't too surprised. We had learnt about Lilith a while ago and had already searched the books on her.

There was however, a lot of information on the bracelet, more so the metal used, silver.

Silver was associated with the moon. It was a neutral color that helped to get rid of negative energy or influences and it also encouraged stability. I wasn't so sure about the stability bit, especially after my vivid hallucinations of Mandy dying. Silver was also known to help neutralize situations when needed. It helped in the development of psychic abilities as it attracted the influence of the 'Goddess'. It was a mineral that was said to mirror the soul and strengthen the connection between astral and physical bodies.

The books said to use silver when calling on a female energy. It was also meant to strengthen intuition, dreams and psychic abilities.

The last point was that silver represented cycles, rebirth, and reincarnation.

Although I didn't have anything concrete, I had more than what I had yesterday.

I really missed Cas. He was a walking, talking library.

The library.

Where did Cas take me just before he was taken by heaven? It was a library of some sort… in the middle of nowhere. I wondered whether he took me there for a reason. Were the answers there? Even if they were, I had no idea where the place actually was, so I was back to square one. I slumped back in the chair.

Why couldn't all this angel and demon stuff have as much information in books as Greek mythology did? An idea stirred at the back of my brain and I sat up in the chair. Greek mythology! I was  
fairly knowledgeable in the area after taking it as an elective in university. I picked up my cell and called Sam.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked after three rings.

"She's a siren." I blurted out. There was silence for a moment.

"A siren." Sam repeated. "The myth?" he asked.

"Not a myth. More of a beautiful creature that preys on men, enticing them with their siren song." I explained.

"And their song is more of a metaphor, like...like their call, their allure." He added. I nodded even though he couldn't see me.

"So they shake their thing and the guys zombie out. It makes sense, sirens lived on islands. Sailors would chase them, completely ignoring the rocky shores...and dash themselves to pieces." I explained to Sam and he was catching on quickly.

"So, if you were a siren in '09 looking to ruin a bunch of morons, where would you set up shop?" he asked the both of us already knowing the answer.

"Exactly. And, sirens can read minds. They see what you want most and then they can cloak themselves. You know, like an illusion." I was getting excited even though I wasn't on the hunt.

"So it's probably the same girl morphing into different dream girls." Sam pointed out.

"Probably." I agreed.

"Any idea how to kill it?" he asked me. My euphoria dropped. I hadn't gotten that far yet.

"I'll keep looking." I assured him as I walked over to look for Greek mythology books now. "In the meantime, you have no idea who she is so steer clear of girls." I instructed him. "And keep an eye on Dean." I added. Sam chuckled on the other end.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks Lex." He said before ending the call. I started pulling the books out.

* * *

Sam texted me a few hours later informing me there was another murder and he was going to check out whether or not the murderer fit the profile. Of all the books on Greek mythology, and then the specific sections within referring to sirens, there was only one poem which gave me something to work off.

Luckily Bobby had come home and Dean had filled him in on the hunt. We actually needed Bobby to cover in case someone questioned Sam and Dean's FBI authority. As much as I'd like to fool myself, I knew I didn't sound like an FBI director so that job remained with Bobby.

I called Sam.

"Hey Lex." He greeted me.

"Hey, you find her yet?" I asked hoping they had.

"Ahhh, no. And, uh, it doesn't seem like she's slowing down any. Lenny Bristol killed his mom because the stripper, Belle, asked him to." He informed me. "You were right about the name." he added. Well of course I was. This was Disney we were talking about.

"Wait, his mom?" I asked confused. Usually the victim was the wife.

"The woman he was closest too." Sam explained. I had a funny feeling in my tummy.

"Please, both of you steer clear. I'd rather not die anytime soon." I told Sam seriously. Though if I couldn't go to the hunt… I wouldn't mind the hunt coming to me.

"And what makes you think you're the woman..." he paused, "…girl we're closest to?" he asked me. I laughed and Bobby looked over from the kitchen.

"Name one person you love more than me." I asked him in retaliation. There was no answer. I laughed again. "Exactly." I taunted him.

"Shut up. You got anything?" he asked trying to brush off the fact I was important to him. Boys.

"Well, some lore from a dusty Greek poem. Shockingly, it's a little vague." I replied calming myself down.

"Hold on a sec, I'll put you on speaker." He said and I heard the click.

"Dean?" I asked. God, I guess I really missed those two knuckleheads.

"Ankle-biter." He replied.

"Okay, it says you need 'a bronze dagger, covered in the blood of a sailor, under the spell of the song.'" I relayed to them directly from the book in front of me.

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean asked confused. I rolled my eyes and Bobby grinned at me from over the stove.

"Well, the siren's spell hasn't got anything to do with a song. It's the oxytocin which she injects into the victim's blood." I explained slowly.

"And makes them go all Manchurian Candidate. Uh, what do you think, she infects the men during sex?" Sam asked.

"That's really gross." I pointed out.

"Supernatural STD." Dean commented. It kinda was.

"Well, however it happens, once it's done the siren's got to watch her back. If she gets a dose of her own medicine..." I began.

"It kills her." Sam finished for me.

"Yep, like a snake getting iced by its own venom." I explained.

"So we just got to find a way to juice one of the OJs in jail?" Dean asked. That would have been difficult but doable however, it wouldn't work.

"Not that easy, Dean. Those guys aren't under the spell anymore. You need blood which still has the high levels of oxytocin in it." I explained.

"I think I might have an idea." Sam piped in. Well, at least they had a lead. Bobby walked over and leaned over my shoulder.

"Be careful. These things are tricky bitches. Wrap you up in knots before you know what hit ya." He warned them. He was right. Sam and Dean's brotherhood had been on the rocks lately… it might be more difficult for them to spot the siren if their other problems were still on the back of their mind.

* * *

Call it a woman's instinct, I had a bad feeling about this. So naturally I started packing. I wasn't going to run away or even break my promise to Dean. No, I was smarter than that. I was going to convince Bobby that the boys needed our help and Bobby was going to take me with him to Bedford. I had done all I could at Bobby's, it was time for me to move on.

"D.C. Bureau." I heard Bobby say while he cooked. Was he taking a call for Sam and Dean? "Well, that would be me. What can I do for you?" he said. I skipped over a few books and jumped to Bobby's side to listen in.

"Yes, sir. Hello. It's Agent Nick Munroe. I'm calling about two of your men. Stiles and Murdoch? Uh, it seems that they've been put on my case by mistake?" he asked Bobby. I knew Stiles and Murdoch… actually I knew them too well but Nick Munroe?

"Are you questioning my authority?" Bobby demanded and I suppressed a laugh seeing as Bobby was cooking a continental dinner and wearing a 'kiss the cook' apron while he delivered the line.

I walked back over to Bobby's desk and opened my laptop. Sam had taught me some very useful hacking techniques and so… I was about to hack into the FBI database.

"You coulda fooled me. Last time I checked, son, D.C. has jurisdiction. Or am I wrong?" Bobby asked this Munroe guy. I pulled up the FBI website and began my work. Bobby walked back over to the various phones on his wall, all marked with a different law enforcement agency.

"Well, good. Well, the next time you wanna waste my time with stupid questions, don't." he said rudely before he placed the phone back.

"Oh, those idjits." He said looking over at me. I smiled.

"What would we do without you Bobby?" I asked him.

"I try not to scare myself thinking about it." He replied as he walked over to me. "What are you doing?" he asked as he noticed which site I was on. I pulled up the search in the database.

"I don't like the sound of this Nick Munroe guy. If he's not from D.C. then why is he even investigating?" I asked. Bobby patted my shoulder.

"That's a good question." He said to me as he walked back into the kitchen to turn off the stove.

"I just don't want a repeat of Hendrickson, ever again." I told Bobby. "The last thing those two need right now is someone investigating them." I paused as the results came up for Munroe.

Well, would you look at that.

"Bobby?" I called him over. "Guess which name doesn't show up under any FBI department?" I asked. Bobby just stared at me.

"Balls!"

* * *

Luckily I was packed and ready to go. Bobby loaded his car with his general weapons and I packed for good. If I was going to Bedford, I wasn't coming back with Bobby. As much as I loved the guy, I needed to be on the job with the people I trusted most, Sam and Dean. I hadn't seen them in nearly two weeks and it was killing me.

"Put those shot guns in too Bobby." I told his as I rummaged through his weapons. He picked them up and handed them over to me.

"They haven't been cleaned yet, I took them out two days ago." He told me as he zipped up one of the bags. I put them in anyway and he looked over to me.

"I'll clean them in the car." I said to him. We needed to get on the road as soon as possible so I could interrogate this 'Nick Munroe' before he royally screwed my brothers.

As soon as we were in the car, I called Dean, wanting to let him know about 'Nick' but the call wouldn't even connect. I groaned.

"What is it?" Bobby asked from next to me.

"Dean's phone isn't connecting." I grumbled as I went to call Sam. The phone range three times and cut off. Did Sam just ignore my call?

"And now Sam's not picking up." I said quietly. "Bobby, I don't have a great feeling about this." I looked over to him. He kept his eyes on the road since it was raining but kept a determined voice.

"It'll be okay Lex. We'll get to them." He reassured me. I slumped back in my seat.

* * *

I must have called Sam about twenty times before I gave up and simply waited for him to return my calls. It didn't make me feel any better that he wasn't answering though… anything could have happened. I called Dean too, but the call never connected for some strange reason. Maybe Dean had turned his phone off? Finally, when we were about three hours away from Bedford, Dean's call actually rang and I jumped upright in the car almost giving Bobby a heart attack.

"Dean!" I yelled in relief when he picked up. "Where have you been?" I asked angrily. I could hear music and a heavy beat in the background prompting me to think he was at the strip joint.

"Hey, sorry but Dean's in the bathroom at the moment." A stranger's voice told me. I froze in my seat and turned to look at Bobby.

"I'm sorry, who are you? And why do you have Dean's phone?" I asked really hoping it wasn't 'Nick'.

"Nick Munroe, FBI. I'm working a case with Dean at the moment." He replied. Shit. "And Dean left his phone out when he went to the bathroom." He answered. Okay, I could work through this.

"So where's Sam?" I asked him crossing my fingers and praying that both my brothers were okay.

"Look, I'm not sure who you are; you're listed under 'ankle-biter' on Dean's phone, so I don't feel comfortable divulging details of the case to you." He replied. Bobby looked over to me, concerned, and I rubbed my hand over my face. I couldn't tell him I was FBI now seeing Dean had listed me under 'ankle-biter', thanks Dean, and if I told him I was Dean's sister then I had no right to know where Sam was because that was FBI business.

"That's fine; could you tell Dean to call me back as soon as possible?" I asked. "It's really important." I added for emphasis. I noticed Bobby had sped up ten mph.

"Why?" he asked me. I sat dumbfounded for a few moments before I opened my mouth. Did he really just ask me 'why' Dean should call me back? Whoever this guy was, I was going to kick his ass.

"What do you mean why? It's none of your business." I replied shocked that he had even asked.

"I mean, do you have information on the case? Because I'm working the case too and any information you withhold from me is a federal crime." He threatened lightly. He was a real piece of work, this one.

"It has nothing to do with the case. Dean needed something else from me." I replied flawlessly.

"Does he really need anything from you?" he asked. I sat up in my seat. This wasn't normal. "See, I can read his mind and he doesn't want anything from you." 'Nick' said softly. Well fuck me.

'Nick' was the siren.

"Where's my brother?" I asked through clenched teeth. Nick laughed in response.

"He really is in the bathroom. I just wanted to let you know that if I see your number blow up on this phone again, I'll kill Dean. Now let me do my work in peace and your brother lives." He said calmly before disconnecting.

I stared at the phone for a while Bobby kept trying to snap me out of my daze.

"Alexis!" he finally yelled and I jumped a little in my seat. I looked over to Bobby who was exceeding the limit by fifteen to twenty mph and at the same time glancing over at me. "What happened?" he asked.

"Nick happened." I replied in anger as Bobby kept glancing over. I turned in my seat and reached to the back so I could grab all my weapons.

"He's the siren." Bobby said in realization. I tucked in my guns and held the bronze dagger in my hands.

"Yeah, and if I call Dean's cell one more time, he'll straight out kill Dean. He's onto us; he knows we're all related." I sighed. "Well, if I can't call Dean… then I'll call Sam."

I wasn't sure if Sam was in trouble of if he was deliberately trying to piss me off by not answering my calls, either way, it was annoying me.

* * *

Two hours later, Bobby and I pulled into the motel car park where Sam and Dean were staying. Even though their lives were in danger, I was happy knowing that I was finally in the same place as them. I spotted the Impala down at the end of the lot and motioned to Bobby that luckily either Sam or Dean was here already. I checked my weapons; two daggers, two guns and knife strapped to my ankle. I was good to go.

"You keep the bronze dagger, I'll go in first and clear the room. You wait out in the hall." I ordered Bobby. He stopped what he was doing and just looked at me. I grinned sheepishly at him when I realized I was telling him what to do. "I'm sorry, just, it's Sam and Dean we're talking about here." I explained.

"And what makes you think I'm going to let you serve yourself up to the siren?" Bobby asked me. I flashed my Winchester smile at him.

"The perks of being a _chica_, the siren's venom shouldn't work on me." I pointed out. "You could fall victim and I really don't want that to happen." I shut the trunk and we started walking towards the motel. "I just need enough time to draw whoever is in the room, out." I explained.

"If only one of those two idjits had bothered to pick up the phone." Bobby growled. We walked into the lobby and then the elevator.

"Look, when I spoke to Nick, he told me that he'd wanted to do his job, meaning Dean wasn't drugged at the time but I'm guessing after that phone call, he probably sped up his plan." I said to Bobby as we reached the floor. The doors opened and we both watched Sam disappear behind the corner.

"Sam?" Bobby asked me quietly. I nodded and took out my gun as we walked forward. Their motel room was shut but there were definitely people inside. I walked up quietly, crouched beside the door and put my ear to it.

"Dean?" Sam asked breathing heavily. It sounded like he was struggling. I motioned for Bobby to move down the hall, away from the door. It sounded like Dean had been infected already. Sam chuckled humorlessly from inside.

"I gotta tell ya, you're one butt ugly stripper." He remarked. I sagged my shoulders. Nick was in there too.

"Well, maybe. But I got exactly what I wanted. I got Dean." Nick said to Sam. Well that cleared up whether or not Dean was under the influence. There was some rustling against the door and I realized Dean must have been holding Sam against it. That meant I couldn't bust in guns blazing because if I threw open that door, I'd close the distance between Dean's weapon and Sam.

"Dean, come on man, this isn't you. You can fight this. Let me go." Sam grunted from the other side of the door. I had no idea how to get in.

"Why don't you cut him? Just a little, on his neck right there." Nick whispered. He was trying to show his dominance over Dean, and I didn't like the sound of it at all. Dean must have cut Sam because I heard Sam groan a little.

"Dean's all mine." Nick told Sam.

Like hell he is. I pulled out my phone and called Sam, hoping it would prove to be a distraction. Bobby was standing a few feet away from me, listening in on the conversation too.

"You poisoned him." Sam accused. His phone didn't even ring.

"No. I gave him what he needed. And it wasn't some bitch in a G-string. It was you." Nick told him. "A little brother that looked up to him, that he could trust. And now he loves me." Sam cried out in pain. I clenched my teeth. Standing inches away from the fight and not being able to do a damn thing was freaking irritating.

"He'd do anything for me. And I gotta tell you, Sam, that kind of devotion? I mean, watching someone kill for you? It's the best feeling in the world." Nick said softly. Well, I could conclusively say I no longer liked sirens. I called Dean's phone and luckily it rang, but the damn thing must have been on silent.

"Is that why you're slutting all over town?" Sam asked him.

"Ahh. I get bored, like we all do. And I wanna fall in love again. And again...and again." He replied. He wanted Dean's love? Maybe he didn't know that Dean didn't just go handing out care packages of love to any Joe he came across. Sam and I had to be in some deep shit before Dean even demonstrated he knew how to love.

"I'll tell you what. I have fought some nasty sons of bitches, but you are one needy, pathetic loser." Sam insulted him.

"You won't feel that way in a minute." Nick told Sam.

Okay, time for me to intervene. I reached up and turned the handle slowly. Sam started struggling again and I kicked open the door. Too late, Sam was trying to spit something out and Dean was standing inches from him holding a knife.

I pulled the gun on Nick and shot him between the eyes. I knew it wouldn't do anything useful and I was hoping it would throw him off for a bit but what I didn't expect was Dean to come charging into me the moment I did. He threw me against the wall and made me drop my gun. My head hit the wall and Dean choked me with his forearm.

"Dean." I gasped as I felt him press against my throat. This was the worst position to be in. Dean knew how I fought, he'd predict every move before I made it and on top of that I was trapped in his incredibly strong grip. I didn't have the strength to get out of his hold. That's why Dean was around, so he could come to my rescue and use his strength to free me from situations like this.

I moved both my hands to his forearm and tried to pry it off, but it wasn't working. Nick's bullet wound had healed and he walked up behind Dean with Sam to his side.

"Let her breathe." He told Dean and so Dean's arm moved a little down. I was still pushed against the wall but I wasn't suffocated.

"Dean, let me go." I breathed quickly. He didn't flinch.

"Sam, why don't you disarm your sister?" Nick asked him as he moved out of the way. Sam walked up to me and put his arms around my hips, reaching for the gun at the back. He pulled it out and threw it on the bed. Then he lifted my top a little so he could remove my daggers, the whole time Dean was restraining me. Finally he moved to my right ankle and pulled out the knife. I resisted the urge to kick him while he was doing it because Dean's knife was a little too close for comfort.

"Dean, you wouldn't hurt me. Let me go so we can juice this bastard." I said to him. Nick smiled as he walked over. I didn't know what he was about to do so I tried free myself. Dean slammed me harder into the wall and my vision went hazy. I felt a second set of arms grip my right shoulder and push me to the wall. It was Sam.

I retracted my previous statement. _This _was the worst position to be in. They were on either side of me and holding me up so that my feet were barely touching the ground. Sam knew me as well as Dean, both could kick my ass and I had nothing on them.

"You're going to use my own brothers against me?" I asked Nick while I kept away from Dean's knife. He walked up to me calmly.

"No," he laughed, "I'm going to turn you as well." He told me as he touched Sam's shoulder. "Hold her mouth open." He ordered him. Sam's gigantor hand came to my face and forced my mouth open.

"Sam!" I yelled at him as he pushed harder. Nick opened his mouth and shot his venom into mine. I wasn't sure if this was classified as kissing. I didn't feel different but Nick was watching me, waiting for a change. I contemplated acting like I was in love so he'd let me go and I'd have a chance to attack but he somehow knew it wasn't working.

"Guess I won't be professing my love for you then." I smiled at Nick. He stared at me, confused, and then took a step back.

"Detain her." He ordered. It all happened really fast after that. Sam let go of me but before I could look away, Dean punched me in jaw. The force pushed me across the room and I landed in a heap beside the bed, not moving.

* * *

Maybe there was a part of Dean that was holding him back. I knew if Dean wanted to knock me out he could, but I was simply dazed to the extreme. My vision kept going black but I wasn't unconscious.

"So I know you two have a lot you want to get off your chests. So why don't you discuss it? And whoever survives can be with me forever." Nick said to both my brothers. I tried to keep my eyes open so I could see what was going on.

Sam and Dean turned to face one another leaving a large distance between them. I tried to move but failed. Dean was an effective fighter, but I never really thought I'd be on the receiving end of his blows.

"Well, I don't know when it happened. Maybe when I was in hell. Maybe when I was staring right at you." Dean said angrily. "But the Sam I knew, he's gone."

"That so?" Sam replied cockily.

"And it's not the demon blood or the psychic crap. It's the little stuff. The lies. The secrets." He said. This wasn't the best time for them to unload.

"Oh, yeah? What secrets?" Sam asked. I looked at Dean and begged he wouldn't say it.

"The phone calls to Ruby for one." Dean retaliated. Shit.

"So I need your say-so to make a phone call?" Sam spat back.

"That's the point. You're hiding things from me. What else aren't you telling me?" Dean yelled. Is that how Dean felt towards me because I had lied to him once? Did he think I was still hiding things from him?

"None of your business." Sam said smiling. Dean shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"See what I mean? We used to be in this together. We used to have each other's backs." Dean argued. What did he mean? I still had his back and he still had mine. Sam was straying a little, sure, but Dean always had me.

"OK, fine. You know why I didn't tell you about Ruby, and how we're hunting down Lilith?" Sam told Dean. My blood boiled. He _was_ working with Ruby… after everything; he was still working with her. "Because you're too weak to go after her, Dean." He told him. I called bullshit, Dean was the best hunter I knew. "You're holding me back. I'm a better hunter than you are. Stronger, smarter. I can take out demons you're too scared to go near." He said proudly.

"That's crap." Dean interrupted him.

"You're too busy sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Whining about all the souls you tortured in hell. Boo hoo." Sam taunted him. I didn't even have time to respond. Dean threw his knife at Sam and he dodged it while running towards him. He backhanded Dean and so Dean punched him squarely in the jaw, once on the right and once on the left. Sam blocked and did the same to Dean.

Where was Bobby? I pushed myself up onto my knees and watched them fight. There wasn't too much I could do to stop them… I'd take the brunt of their hits if I got in between.

Dean blocked the third punch and twisted Sam's arm in an arm lock so he could punch him twice from the left. Sam punched Dean in the stomach, hooked right, hooked left and uppercut hard enough to send Dean flying through the divider.

I didn't have the bronze dagger… so it looked like I was about to take some brutal hits. I ran forward just as Sam pulled Dean up against the wall.

'You're not standing in my way anymore." Sam spat at him. I squeezed between them, facing Sam and with my back to Dean so Sam wouldn't get a hit on him. It didn't work. I pushed Sam back just as he punched me in the face. The back of my head hit Dean's chest and he simply pushed me to the side. Sam punched Dean again and this time Dean grabbed him and spun them around. They kept their fists up and caught their breath, eyes still on each other.

Then Dean ran at Sam and tackled him through the front door. The door gave away and the two of them landed out in the hall. Sam grunted in pain as Dean stood up. I ran towards Dean and pushed him away from Sam.

"Dean, cut it out." I said to him breathlessly. He grabbed me by my collar and went to punch me but I blocked his right hook with my left arm, I punched him square in the jaw with my right, I used the same hand to grab a hold of his neck and then I pulled him down to me so I could knee him in the stomach. When he finally stood straight, I went to jab him in the sternum but he blocked that, punched me across the face and then kicked me with full force, sending my flying down the hall leading to the elevator.

My ribs hurt and I stayed on the floor hoping he hadn't cracked anything. Dean walked over to the fire emergency glass and broke it with his elbow. He pulled out the axe and walked over to Sam.

"Do it." Nick said to Dean who seemed captured by Nick's words. "Do it for me, Dean."

"No, Dean." I panted from the floor. "Don't do it. He's screwing with your head!" I yelled. Dean didn't even look over at me, his eyes were on Sam.

"Tell me again how weak I am, Sam, huh?" he said from above Sam. I mustered the strength to get back on my feet. "How I hold you back?" Dean yelled. He lifted the axe ready to swing at Sam and the world slowed down for me.

He wouldn't kill Sam. He couldn't.

Sam was covering his face with his arm and I began moving towards them. Dean looked so determined to end his life. I looked up at the axe which he was about to bring down on Sam.

Out of nowhere, Bobby grabbed the axe and stopped Dean from swinging. He jabbed Dean in the shoulder with the bronze dagger causing Dean to yell out in pain. Finally Bobby! We could end this now.

Nick, now in panic, started running my way, away from Bobby and the dagger. I caught Bobby's eye and he raised the dagger ready to throw it.

"No. NO!" Sam screamed as Bobby threw it towards me. I kicked off the wall and grabbed the dagger before plunging it into Nick's neck. He grabbed my shoulder and fell onto me. I tried to push him off but his grip was tight. The two of us slid to the floor and I was trapped underneath him.

He was dead.

"Lexie?" Bobby came closer as I rolled out from under Nick.

"I'm good Bobby." I gasped lying on my back and looking up at him. "Where were you?" I asked.

"Civilians." He answered annoyed at the memory. Of course Bobby would need to steer them away from the action. I turned my head to see Sam sitting against the wall and Dean still clutching his shoulder. They both had expressions of shock on their face.

I could have chosen to be mad at them for falling prey to the siren. I could have been mad at them for holding onto so much hate and letting it control them. I could have been mad at Sam for secretly working with Ruby. I could have been mad at Dean for thinking he didn't have someone who would always have his back.

I could have been mad. Instead I grinned at them and scrambled up.

I had missed them these last two weeks so all that other drama could be dealt with later. I rushed past Bobby and jumped on Dean. He wasn't expecting me and he quickly put his uninjured arm around me as I wrapped my legs around him. I kissed him on the side of the head and held him tight. His comforting scent relaxed me. I leaned back in his arm so I could see his face.

"You done?" he asked me still catching his breath. I hopped down and went to help Sam to his feet. He stood to his full height still panting. I guess I was still fitter than these two when it came to endurance. I leaned into Sam and he put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in tight.

"Lex." He said as he turned me towards him. He brought his hand to my face, looking for where he hit me. "Why did you get in between?" he asked me, his eyebrows knitted together. Dean turned to look at me too.

"Well you two were going crazy at each other. I had to do something." I replied. That was my response to every stupid situation I got myself into.

"Every time." He murmured.

"Do you ever think before you throw yourself into a fight?" Dean asked me. I smiled at him.

"When I see damsels in distress," I looked at both of them, "I don't have time to think." I replied cheekily. They both rolled their eyes at me.

I wiped the blood off my lip from when I got punched and took a deep breath. My ribs ached and I held them in pain. Dean must've just remembered he was the one who kicked me because he grabbed my shoulder.

"Lex?" he asked concerned. Sam and Dean were used to receiving such heavy hits… I wasn't.

"I'm good, just bruised." I looked up at him winked. None of it mattered. We were alive and together, what more could I ask for?

* * *

We were packed and ready to go. Sam had jokingly put my bags back in Bobby's trunk and I almost had a fit. I didn't care if I was bruised, I needed to keep hunting.

We had parked near the bridge along with Bobby before we parted ways. Bobby pulled four bottles out of his car and walked towards us. He handed us the drinks and I frowned at him. He knew I didn't drink.

"Thanks." Sam said to him.

"Soda?" Dean asked. I glanced down at the bottle and smiled. Bobby did know me after all.

"You boys are driving, aren't ya?" he asked pointedly. Dean threw me the keys to the Impala.

"She can drive, hand me the goods." He said to Bobby.

"Drink the soda." Bobby said sternly to Dean as he opened his bottle. Dean reluctantly complied and I smiled at Bobby. Not too many people could tell Dean what to do.

"Thanks, Bobby. You know, if you hadn't shown up when you did..." Sam started.

"Done the same for me, more than once. Plus, it's not like I had a choice." He said looking over at me. Sam and Dean's eyes followed Bobby's gaze and rested on me. Dean raised an eyebrow, Sam smirked at me and I looked away, squinting. "Course, you coulda picked up the phone. Only took Lex one call to figure out that Agent Nick Munroe wasn't real." He told them. They stayed silent and Dean took another swig of his soda.

"You boys gunna be OK?" Bobby asked them. I stood beside Bobby and waited for an answer as well.

"Yeah, fine." Sam said looking over at Dean.

"Yeah, good." Dean replied at the same time. I smirked at Bobby, both of us seeing through their lies. He pulled me in a one arm hug.

"See ya angel." He said to me. Angel was nickname Dad had given me that Bobby had adopted. He hadn't used it in ages, maybe because we learnt that angels are real dicks.

"See ya Bobby. Thanks, for everything." I said looking up at him. He tipped his hat at the boys and began walking over to his car. I walked forward to the Impala and Dean pulled me towards him. He looped his arm over my shoulder and tucked me under it. Bobby stopped in his tracks and turned around.

"You know, those sirens are nasty things. That it got to you, that's no reason to feel bad." He said to the boys. Sam nodded to Bobby. "You boys keep an eye on that troublemaker." he added pointing to me. I smiled at him.

"Always do Bobby." Dean told him. Bobby got into the car and we watched him drive away.

"So," Dean said from above me. "Why didn't the venom work on you?" he asked me. I played with the soda bottle.

"I thought the venom only worked on guys but Nick looked at me like it should have worked. I'm not sure." I replied.

"Well, I guess if you already had high levels of oxytocin, it wouldn't really matter." Sam said from my other side. We all stopped what we were doing and they looked down at me. I looked up at Sam and scoffed.

"No, I didn't have sex and no, I'm not pregnant." I cleared up for them. They didn't seem convinced until I jabbed Sam in the side.

"Okay, I believe you." He said quickly as he massaged where I hit.

"Speaking of, you gunna say goodbye to Cara?" Dean asked Sam. I had only found out an hour ago that Sam banged the hot M.D.

"Nah, not interested." Sam replied looking down.

"Really? Why not?" I asked before Dean could respond.

"What's the point?" Sam replied and I felt bad. It was difficult this life, and in must've been hard for Sam to go from Jessica, to knowing he can never really have someone.

"Well, look at you. Love 'em and leave 'em." Dean commented before taking another sip. Sam sighed.

"Dean, look, you know I didn't mean the things I said back there, right?" Sam asked. Dean started nodding. That it was just the siren's spell talking?" Sam finished.

"Of course, me too." Dean replied. I shut my eyes. Obviously they were both lying.

"'Kay. So... so we're good?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, we're good." Dean replied.

That was it, I couldn't take it. I pushed off the car and Dean's arm fell from my shoulder. I turned around and faced them.

"No, we're not good." I said to them angrily. They both looked at me, not sure where I was going. "You telling me that none of what you said to each other was the truth?" I asked them. Dean sighed.

"I said it was the siren." Dean said to me looking away.

"No, I'll pull out the facts." I pointed to Sam. "You're still working with Ruby even though we don't like it." I accused Sam. They both went silent, their eyes on me. "And you." I gestured to Dean, "You don't trust Sam anymore." I stated. Dean rolled his eyes.

"That's enough. We're going." He told us as he went to open his door, except it was locked. He felt his jacket for his keys and then looked up at me. "Give me the keys." He told me holding out his hand. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"No." I said to him plainly. Sam stood up straight, not sure what was about to happen.

"Alexis, give me the damn keys." He said sternly. I took a few steps back.

"This shit that's going on between the two of you, it's tearing us apart. We need to stick together and tell each other the truth." I looked specifically at Sam. "I'm not kidding, you two can go on ignoring it as long as you want, but I'm telling the both of you now. Get your fucking act together." I said with force. They both had their attention on me. "We have people to save and our time shouldn't be wasted on bitches like Ruby. Lucifer is about to pop out of his cage and start the freaking apocalypse. I was gone for a month and I come back with a mysterious silver bracelet and bruises. Those things are more important than this high school bullshit." I said to both of them.

Dean stepped closer to me.

"We'll figure out what happened to you, I promise Lex, but in the meantime, drop the freaking attitude." He said to me. He held out his hands waiting for the keys. I walked up to him and put the keys in his hand.

"The last time I didn't say anything, you went to hell and you "I looked to Sam, "left me. Don't ask me to keep my mouth shut this time because I swear to God, if at the end of all this, either of you leave me again, I will march straight into hell and kill you myself." I threatened. I took a deep breath. "I will not be stuck topside without my brothers again. As long as you understand that." I said to them.

Dean and Sam both had identical expressions of guilt on their face after I brought up them abandoning me. I walked past them and Dean unlocked the Impala just before I got in the back. I laid down and adjusted my travel pillow not wanting to think about a scenario where my brothers weren't around. Sam and Dean stayed outside for a while longer, talking to each other. I was hoping they were working things out, but I didn't want to interrupt. After a couple of minutes they got in the car and Sam turned to look at me.

"Lex." He said softly. I pulled myself up so Sam and I were face to face, and so that I could see Dean through the rearview. Sam looked heartbroken when he saw my face, my fear must have shown. "We're not going anywhere." He said to me. I glanced at Dean, who had a determined look on his face, and then back at Sam. "I promise, we won't leave you." He said with certainty. We sat in silence, letting his words sink in.

"Okay." I whispered. I just needed their word that I wasn't going to be alone. Something about Dean's face told me I would always have him nearby.

When we were young, the only time Sam and Dean could put their differences aside and work together was when I was upset.

Not a lot had changed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think, because I was uncertain about this chapter since I had separated Lex and the boys... Did it still work well for you?

The next chapter will have the return of heaven's sweetest angel, **Castiel**!

**NOTE: Over the last week I have edited chapter 1 through to 10. **My brother pointed out some very obvious plot flaws so I had to go back and rewrite parts of them. Please go back and re-read them in your own time, it's worth the trouble.

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**Sara.B - **Thank-you so much for your review. I will be writing Jump The Shark and I have some awesome ideas for the episode so keep tuned in :)

Feel free to message me anytime :)

**REVIEW BELOW xx**

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	16. Chapter 16 - Death Takes A Holiday

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! With the added workload of university, it's becoming harder and harder to update but somehow I managed to complete this chapter. Ironically, it's the longest one yet.

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; Carver Edlund, Jasmine, Emilyrose475, emily2696, Nocturnal Rose, Sara.B and Guest. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, **I killed myself over this chapter**, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 16 – Death Takes A Holiday**

It was a cold morning and so we had stopped at a local diner to have lunch. After two weeks of staying at Bobby's, it was surprisingly easy to fall back into routine. I didn't necessarily like the early mornings but that was easily counteracted by packing the night before so all I had to do was walk to the car in the morning before I fell asleep again.

Sam was sitting diagonal to me at one of the tables while he looked for a case. I had ordered a chicken burger and was making my way through it while Dean stood by the juke box. I lifted my legs and stretched them out on Dean's seat, watching him in amusement as he put in a coin and pressed a button. Sam and I had tried to convince him to get an iPod but he refused every time claiming 'vinyl is king', hence resulting in situations like this.

Dean frowned at the jukebox as it stared silently back at him. Sam got a phone call but I was more interested in pulling my phone out and catching Dean battle the jukebox on video. He pressed the buttons again and then checked behind to make sure it was connected to the power. I laughed to myself as he thumped the top and gave up.

"No, no, no, you're right, it's definitely weird. ...Okay, Bobby, thanks." Sam said over the phone as Dean walked over to us. I quickly put my phone away before Dean destroyed the priceless footage.

"What's up?" I asked Sam as he stored his phone in his jacket. Dean stood next to his seat staring down at me, waiting for me to move my legs. I ignored him waiting for Sam's answer. Sam on the other hand had begun typing away like a first year college student.

"Bobby found something in Wyoming." Sam replied not looking up. Next thing I knew, Dean went to sit on my legs and I had to retract them quickly before he crushed them.

"A job?" Dean asked smirking at my expression.

"Maybe." Sam replied as Dean and I simultaneously took bites of our burgers. "Small town, no one's died in the past week and a half."

"That's a good thing." I pointed out to Sam while wiping the mayo off my lips with a napkin. I reached over for Dean's milkshake and he pulled it away.

"Yeah, that so unusual?" Dean asked. I glared at him and took the milkshake anyway. He shrugged at me. Dean needed to learn how to share.

"Well, it's how they're not dying." Sam answered still typing as Dean took another bite. I brought the shake to my lips and took a big sip, glancing smugly at Dean. "One guy with terminal cancer strolls right out of hospice. Another guy gets capped by a mugger and walks away without a scratch." Sam finished just as I spat the drink out.

Dean laughed maliciously beside me and Sam pulled his laptop away from me. I took a napkin and started dabbing at my tongue.

"It's not poisonous Lex." Dean laughed before taking another bite of his burger. Sam looked at me confused.

"What-?" he started.

"Dean spiked his drink." I growled as I tried to get the disgusting taste out of my mouth. I turned to Dean who was enjoying his food a little too much. "It's half past eleven in the day, isn't it a bit early?" I asked him scrunching up the damp napkin in my hand. He grabbed the drink and slurped the dangerous concoction within.

"The sun's down somewhere." He replied. Sam's eyes went back to the screen. "So, capped in the ass?" Dean asked Sam. My attention moved back to the case.

"Police say Mr. Jenkins was shot in the heart at point-blank range by a nine-millimeter." Sam informed us. That _was_ crazy. There was no way Mr. Jenkins should be alive.

"And he's not a doughnut?" Dean asked equally surprised but still with food in his mouth.

"Locals are saying it's a miracle." Sam added. I finished my burger and caught Sam's eye.

"When is it ever a miracle?" I asked him. "We gotta check it out, right?" I asked them both. Dean nodded, not really caring what I was saying.

"Okay." He replied. Sam looked down like he was trying to figure something out.

"Don't hurt yourself there Sam. We'll figure it out." I teased him as he pulled his eyebrows together.

"It's got to be something nasty, right? I mean, people making deals or something." He asked the two of us.

"Maybe." I replied. If it was a crossroads demon then at least we had a starting point.

"You think?" Dean replied taking another bite.

"What else would it be?" Sam questioned. I thought of the endless possibilities.

"Rogue angel?" I replied. Dean stopped eating and they both looked over at me.

"I really hope it's not." Dean muttered slowly. "Look, I don't know." He said.

"All right, get that to go" Sam told Dean motioning to the burger. Dean looked down but he didn't move. Sam stood up and started packing away his laptop. I followed suit and picked up my rubbish. "Come on." He said turning around.

Dean wasn't getting up. I caught Sam's eye and nodded towards Dean. He paused and Dean looked up at him. What was going on?

"What?" Sam asked him, just as confused as I was. Did he not like the case or did he want to finish his burger in peace? Dean looked away and then back at Sam.

"Sure you want me going with you?" he asked.

Not this again. I pressed my fingers to my temple in frustration.

"Why wouldn't I?" Sam asked still not catching on. Any other day Sam was an expert in being bitchy… not today.

"I don't want to be holding you back or nothing." Dean replied. I glanced over at Sam who rolled his eyes and exhaled.

"Dude, I've told you a hundred times, that was the siren talking, not me. Can we get past this?" Sam asked. He should've known better than that. If Sam got a paper cut, Dean thought it was his fault. If Sam straight out told Dean he was holding him back, Dean would live off those words for the next year.

Dean put down the burger, not looking up at us.

"Yeah, we're past it." He said without emotion. He brushed his hands off at the table and stood up. Sam gave me a look before walking away and I waited for Dean.

"You gotta quit your bitchin." I said to him when I saw Sam was out of earshot. Dean grabbed his milkshake and looked up at me.

"Oh, bite me." he retorted as we started walking to the door. I shoved him lightly.

"Are you really going to run off because Sam has issues?" I asked him. "I need someone with their head in the game to watch my back while I do all the work around here." I joked. Dean stared ahead as we walked outside into the parking lot. He contemplated what I said.

"If Sam and I split, you're coming with me." He replied simply. Wait, what?

"Is that a question?" I asked him, stopping in my tracks. He couldn't decide that for me, I was an adult.

"It's a fact." He said still walking ahead. I ran to catch up with him as he approached the Impala.

"Do I get a say in this?" I questioned not believing he was serious. He gave me a look which made me feel like I was four.

"No." he replied before getting in the car. I stood outside the Impala for a few moments thinking about Dean's logic. The last time Sam and Dean had separated, it hadn't worked out too well for us and that was before we had heaven and hell up our asses. Imagine the damage we'd do to ourselves if we split up now. Sam impatiently rolled his window down.

"Anytime princess." He remarked turning his head to look at me.

"Pipe down Sasquatch." I shot back as I got in.

* * *

Jim Jenkins had a very traditional home so in other words it was dull and made me feel sick. We were sitting at the dining table while Jenkins's wife was in the living room with their little girl.

"What do we do if it's an angel?" I whispered to Sam and Dean. They both really hated that idea and we were all praying it wasn't an angel. A simple monster was fine, but angels came with one hundred and two different kinds of crap.

"Let's just figure out what it is first." Sam said, not sure what answer to give me. Jenkins walked back into the room.

"Now, you three said you were bloggers?" he asked as he took a seat opposite Sam.

"Yes, sir. Floored by the Lord dot com." Sam answered and I stopped myself from rolling my eyes at all the religious undertones.

"All of God's glory fit to blog." Dean added. I bit my cheek at the New York Times reference and nodded politely at Jim. Dean was grinning at him until Sam cleared his throat, giving us both a look to cut it out.

"Um. Some of the people around town are saying what happened to you was a miracle." Sam began and I started scoping Jim's features for lies. There were some easy giveaways, like where you looked, how long it took to answer a question and tells like twitching your nose, swallowing and repetitive blinking.

"It was. Plain as day." He answered not looking away.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked him. Miracles weren't as plain as they once used to be.

"How else do you explain it? The doctors can't." he answered. Well that was because the doctors had never picked up a book on black magic or summoned a crossroads demon. "There's a bullet in my heart, and it's pumping like a piston." He looked to me and then over at Dean.

"Well, how do you explain it?" Dean asked him. It was likely he saw something that could help us out. Jim hesitated and looked over at his daughter playing in the living room

"Look, honestly. I was nobody's saint—not exactly father of the year, either." He explained looking down.

"Okay." Dean prompted him to continue.

"But when that guy shot me and I didn't bleed a drop? I just knew the Lord was giving me a second chance." He told Dean.

"That so?" Dean replied. I could see the skepticism behind his eyes, similar to mine.

"I had this feeling—like angels were watching over me." He continued. Sam and I exchanged glances while Dean nodded slowly at Jim. "I wouldn't expect you guys to understand." He said after glancing at our unsupportive faces.

"Well, we'll just have to try." Dean smiled weakly.

"You wouldn't have happened to have swung by a crossroads in the past week or so?" I asked him. He looked slightly confused at my question.

"No." he replied curtly.

"Maybe you met someone? With black eyes? Or red?" Sam inquired. To me, it looked like Jim had no idea what we were talking about. He leaned forward onto the table.

"Who'd you guys say you were again?" He asked. It was a bust. I looked over at Dean, indicating it was time to wrap this up.

"Never mind. Thank you for your time." He said to Jim as we got up to leave.

* * *

Later that night Sam had gone to check out the cancer survivor while Dean and I waited in the motel room. I decided to take a hot shower and ease out all my tense muscles from sleeping in the car. Dean was sitting in front of the laptop presumably doing research while he sipped at his coffee. I rummaged through my duffel which was sitting on the bed, looking for my toiletries.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked from the table, eyes still on the screen. I pulled my hair up into a bun and pulled off my socks.

"Same old, same old." I replied slipping on my thongs and pulling out a pair of fresh jeans.

"And your bruises?" he asked looking up at me. I kept rummaging through my duffel with one hand and lifted my top with the other so he could see my back. The ugly bruises were still there and the color varied on different days however they had stopped hurting so I guess they weren't classified as bruises anymore. It was getting a little annoying because it restricted the kinds of tops I could wear and it would get even more annoying as summer approached.

I sensed Dean standing behind me, trying to figure out what the bruises meant. He had been researching all the possible things that could have taken me and implanted a false story in my head ever since he first saw the bruises. I had woken up at night to see him on the laptop though he never told us how scared he was about it.

I felt like Sam did four years ago when he first had his visions. Dean and I had no idea what to do then either and so poor Sam was left to deal with us secretly worrying ourselves into the ground. Dean didn't need this added stress, we already had the apocalypse to worry about and here I was throwing them another curve ball.

"You really don't remember how you got the bruises?" he asked as he pulled my top back down. I finally found a black t-shirt and a light grey hoodie which I pulled out.

"Nope, it wasn't there when I was… or when I thought I was with Anna, Micah or Nathaniel… it showed up when I got back to you guys." I said turning to face Dean. He ran his hand over his face and sat on the bed frustrated.

"Dad would know what to do." He said quietly. My heart fell for him. It wasn't often that Dean let us know what was going on inside but it had been over a month since I got back and we hadn't really come any closer to figuring out what had happened to me. He was angry that he couldn't figure it out and I guess Sam and I had neglected to see that. I sat down beside him and put my hand on his knee.

"Dean, what's the worst that could've happened?" I asked him. "I'm back aren't I and I'm safe. I'm not hurting, the bracelet is off; even if we never figure out what happened to me, we didn't suffer a loss." I pointed out to him. I was lying of course… I would've lost part of my sanity not knowing what happened but it was worth it if it made Dean feel better.

"We didn't suffer a loss?" he asked me surprised. "Lex, your skin looks like something's growing in it, you almost lost your mind because of that bracelet and you think we didn't suffer a loss?" He asked me incredulously. I sighed as I got up. It was no use pushing him now; we were in the middle of a case and I didn't want us fighting.

"I'm going to take a shower. Call me when Sam gets back." I told him as I disappeared into the bathroom. When would Dean stop blaming himself for the things he couldn't control?

* * *

I came out before Sam got back, all ready to fight crime. Dean was pulling up some report on the laptop but I didn't pry, instead I went looking for my holsters. As a girl it wasn't all that different to fight. I wore jeans and t-shirts just like Sam and Dean, usually accompanied with a hoodie and then my black or tan leather jacket on top of that. My holsters hardly got in the way and so it was easy to still look like a girl and move around comfortably when fighting.

Just as I finished adjusting my daggers, Sam walked in.

"Hey." He looked over at me while I pulled my hoodie down over the guns.

"Hey." I replied from the mirror.

"Anything?" Dean asked as he brought up a picture of kid on the laptop. Sam walked over to Dean.

"That cancer survivor? He was clinically dead, his wife pulled the plug, and now he's taking her out for their twentieth anniversary." Sam replied.

"Any sign of a deal?" Dean asked him in return. Sam shook his head and the sinking feeling that angels were involved grew inside me.

"No. What about you? Found anyone dying around here?" Sam asked glancing at the screen. I finished securing my hair and walked over to the desk where I had left the silver amulet Sam had given me.

"Not since Cole Griffith." Dean said as he enlarged the photo of the boy. "He dropped ten days ago. It was the last death I could find."

"So, what are you thinking?" Sam asked. Dean didn't looked too fazed at the situation.

"Eh, maybe it is what the people say it is." He replied getting up. Sam took his seat and scoffed.

"Miracles? Dean, our experience, when do miracles just happen?" Sam asked. I started looking for my black leather jacket.

"Well, there's no deals. There's, uh, no skeevy faith healers." Dean pointed out as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I mean, these souls just ain't getting dragged into the light."

"Well, what other reason could someone have for keeping reapers on a leash?" I asked as I slipped on my jacket. "Maybe someone's using reapers to get revenge and this happens to be the town where they're hogtying them." I suggested. Dean walked back over to us.

"Well something or someone is keeping the reapers from collecting. If death ain't in town-" Sam started.

"Then nobody's dying. So what? Malevolent human who's commanding reapers or the local reaper's on strike? I don't know." Dean said to us with uncertainty. He took a sip of coffee.

"Well, then, let's talk to somebody who might." Sam suggested. I leaned over Sam's shoulder to get better look at Cole Griffiths details. Eleven year old boy, died of an asthma attack.

"Well, last I checked, huggy bear ain't available." Dean remarked.

"No, dude, the kid." Sam explained. Dean and I looked at each other with identical expressions of confusion.

"The kid? The kid's a doornail." Dean so obviously pointed out.

"Exactly. Look, if he was the last person to die around here, then maybe he's seen something. We should talk to him." Sam explained. I laughed from behind him.

"A séance?" I asked. "Sure, the locals are going to love us snooping around the cemetery, attempting to communicate with the spirits." Dean nodded at me and looked at Sam pointedly.

"When has that ever stopped us before? It's just a midnight, graveyard visit." Sam said nonchalantly.

"I love how matter-of-fact you are about that." Dean said to Sam. "Strange lives." He went back to his coffee.

* * *

It was one in the morning as we were huddled around Cole Griffith's grave. I had pulled up my hoodie and was pacing circles around Sam who was crouched over the grave arranging five candles in a pentacle. Dean was flipping through Dad's journal while he sat on the adjacent gravestone.

"Quit it." Sam complained as I made another round with my hands in my pockets.

"It's cold." I hissed back at him and he rolled his eyes as he placed a bundle of sticks in the centre of the pentacle. Dean glanced up at me and shook his head.

"How are you so cold?" he asked from his seat. I looked up with guilt.

"I'm not, I just whine a lot." I admitted as I kept walking. Dean smirked at my answer and looked back down at dad's journal. I walked over to him and sat beside him on the gravestone, looking over his shoulder at dad's notes.

"You sure this is gonna work?" he asked Sam. So far Sam was following the instructions to the word but we'd never communicated with the dead via this technique before so we were pretty clueless. Sam looked up at us from his hunched position.

"No. But if his spirit's around, this should smoke him out." He replied, then pouring the herbs into the bowl at the centre of the pentacle. Dean looked uncertain beside me as he closed the journal. I blew into my hands to warm them up.

"What?" I asked him as I saw my breath in the cold air. Sam looked up at the both us. Dean seemed troubled.

"This job is jacked, that's what." Dean replied looking off to the side.

"How so?" Sam asked. Was it because Sam and Dean were still on the rocks after the siren?

"You want me to gank a monster or torch a corpse, hey, let's light it up, right? But this?" he paused. "If we fix whatever this is, people are gonna start dropping dead. Good people." He explained. Well, at least it wasn't about the siren but Dean had a point. We saved people. We didn't travel around making sure the people on death's list actually died. Sam stood up, ready with an argument.

"Look, I don't want them to die, either, Dean, but there's a natural order." Sam pointed out.

"You're kidding, right?" Dean asked with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Sam scoffed.

"You don't see the irony in that? I mean, the three of us, we're like the all-star cast of the unnatural order. All we do is ditch death." Dean argued. Sometimes I really wondered how Dean could be so stupid. Everything was circumstantial.

"Yeah, but the normal rules don't really apply to us, do they?" I explained to him. Sam nodded in agreement. Dean stared ahead and let a humorless chuckle.

"We're no different than anybody else." He scoffed. Sam looked to me with an amused expression.

"I'm infected with demon blood. You've been to hell." He stated and Dean looked away. "And Lex… God knows about Lex." He finished. I feigned an expression of hurt.

"I'd like to think I'm from a galaxy far far away." I corrected him. Sam rolled his eyes at me before looking back at Dean.

"Look, I know you want to think of yourself as Joe the Plumber, Dean, but you're not. Neither am I and Lex ain't a Mary-Sue either. The sooner you accept that, the better off you're gonna be." He told Dean who in the meanwhile was looking up at the sky like he was a child being given a lecture. He sighed causing a cloud of his condensed breath to appear.

"Ah, Joe the Plumber was a douche." He muttered. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I am too a Mary-Sue." I directed at Sam. "Name one flaw that I have." I demanded. Sam suppressed a smile and looked over to Dean who happily turned to me.

"It's too easy." He said to Sam with his eyes still on me. I glared at the both of them.

"Pray, do tell." I urged him. He glanced up at Sam, amused.

"You're loud." Dean stated.

"You talk too much." Sam added not missing a beat.

"You cry at stupid things."

"You take forever in the shower."

"Your hair."

"Your laugh."

"You kick in your sleep."

"You argue about every freakin' thing."

"You can't 'no' for an answer."

"You sleep all the time."

"You don't think before you act."

"You love attention."

"You're impatient."

"You mess around way too much."

"You're stubborn."

"You swear like your life depends on it."

"Okay ENOUGH!" I yelled at the both of them. Jesus fucking Christ. I stared wide-eyed at them as they smiled back, clearly very proud of themselves. "Enough." I said quieter and took a deep breath. What they called flaws, I called endearing qualities… it was just a matter of opinion.

"You gonna help me finish this?" Sam asked. Dean stood up before blowing into the cold night and went to help Sam.

"Hey!"

We turned our heads towards the voice. There was a man carrying a flashlight walking towards us from my right. He must have been the cemetery caretaker… but how had I missed him? It had been my job to scope so this blunder was on me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked us as he shone the light from face to face. I was speechless, with no idea on what to say. I looked to Sam for help.

"Uh-" Sam managed to say before glancing at Dean. Well that helped heaps. "Just take it easy." He said with his hands up in defense. The caretaker flashed the torch on the grave and unfortunately saw the pentacle of candles. This did not look good.

"What the hell is this?" he asked. Dean quickly came to the rescue.

"Okay, this—this—this is not what it looks like." He stumbled over his words and laughed uneasily from behind me. I smiled weakly at the caretaker hoping my charms would help.

"Really? 'Cause it looks like devil worship." The man pointed out looking kind of angry.

"What?" Dean exclaimed. "No! No, this is not devil worship. This—This is—this—this is, uh-" he had no idea what to say. I didn't blame him; neither did I. "I don't have a good answer." He said helplessly looking over at Sam.

"No shit." I muttered and he kicked my foot discretely.

"We're leaving." Sam stated to the caretaker. He kept his eyes specifically on Sam.

"You're not going anywhere." He said softly. Sam frowned at him as he stepped forward. "Ever. Again. Sam." He said slowly. I felt my blood boil. He looked over at Dean and his eyes turned white. I felt a panic rising within me as his eyes lingered on Dean.

"Alastair." Dean growled from behind me. Alastair's eyes went back to being human. "I thought you got deep fried, extra-crispy." Dean said with contempt.

"Nah. Just the pediatrician I was riding. His wife's still looking for him." He said slowly. I gritted my teeth at his smug smile. "It's hilarious." He looked from Dean to me. "Baby Winchester." He acknowledged my presence, his smile growing. "We still have an 'up close and personal' due." He winked at me. I felt Dean's hand grab the back of my jacket and pull me back towards him. Alastair smiled at the action and looked over to Sam who was fuming.

"Anyway. No time to chat. Got a hot date with death." He said in his creepy Alastair tone. He looked over at Dean and me before flicking his hand at us.

Before I knew it, the two of us were flying back and I landed on something hard.

Everything went dark.

* * *

Alastair was the last person I wanted near Dean or Sam. After everything Dean had gone through in hell and seeing as how hard he was working on move past it, we didn't need Alastair to mosey on along and set us back a generation.

However, if I could get a few moments alone with him … I'd love to teach him what happens to the things that fuck with my brothers.

I may have been over my head though. Who was I kidding; if Dean was scared of Alastair then who was I to think I could do anything that would remotely affect him? Dean was the best hunter I had ever come across and it scared me to think that Alastair had broken him.

My mind wandered back to Lilith and Ruby. The pain I had felt… or that pain I had thought I felt had been excruciating and I couldn't handle it for a tiny fraction of time. Dean had lasted thirty years… and Dad, one-hundred. What was I compared to them?

Nothing.

On top of that, Alastair was using me to get to Dean. He had this deep obsession of putting me on the rack and he knew it triggered something in my brother; something strong enough to make him stand down. I didn't want to be that burden and I had to find a way to prove to Dean that even if Alastair got me, it shouldn't be something he had to worry about. The only question now was how to convince Dean I'd be alright.

I splashed my face with cold water, washing away the dirt and sweat from my face. I had hit my head but it wasn't anything to worry about, however I watched Dean through the bathroom mirror, still lying on the bed with an ice pack to his head.

I wiped my face as Sam walked into the room. I threw the towel at him and jumped face first on the adjacent bed.

"How you doing?" he asked. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

"Never better." I replied. He rolled his eyes at me.

"I can see that. I was asking Dean." He said slowly and muttered something about 'priorities'.

"I'm in pain, that's how I'm doing." Dean replied in a raspy voice. "I think I have a concussion." He added. I tilted my head up in an attempt to see whether he was serious or not.

"You want some aspirin?" Sam asked. Dean sat up in mild pain.

"No thanks, House." He replied. I guess he was okay. "So, demons, huh?"

"Yeah. So much for miracles." I mumbled from the bed as I sat up.

"And what the hell happened with Alastair again?" Dean asked, squinting a little like he was having difficulty remembering. I knew him better than that… he wanted to see how many times Sam would lie to him. Even I didn't buy Sam's story.

"I told you, he tried to fling me or whatever." Sam flicked his hand in demonstration as he walked over to the coffeemaker. "And it didn't work, so he bailed." He explained. I shifted back so I was leaning against the headrest and watched the battle ensue.

"Well, how come he couldn't fling you? He chucked you pretty good last time." Dean asked, glancing over at me before Sam turned around to face us.

"Got no idea." He replied as he turned back to the coffee machine. Did he really think we didn't know he was still working with Ruby? It may have been the siren words but it was true regardless.

"Sam, do me a favor. If you're gonna keep your little secrets, I can't really stop you, but just don't treat me like an idiot, okay?" Dean said. At times like this, I was reminded that I was the youngest and Dean didn't expect me to feel responsible for Sam. They didn't like throwing me in the middle of their fights either because I became very conflicted.

"What? Dean, I'm not keeping secrets." Sam said uneasily. He was keeping secrets.

"Mm-hm." He kept eye contact with Sam. "Whatever." He said looking away. "So, did you go back and q-and-a the dead kid?" I scooted over on the bed as Sam came to sit beside me whilst holding up his notebook.

"Didn't have to. Bobby called. He did some digging." Sam replied.

"And?" I prompted him to continue.

"He thinks we're right. Local reaper's gone. Not just gone—kidnapped." Sam explained and I sat up straighter.

"At least we know who's kidnapping them now. So long as it's not angels… but why demons? Since when do they need reapers on a leash?" I asked. Sam looked down at the notes.

"Listen to this." He began reading from the book. "And he bloodied death under the newborn sky—sweet to taste, but bitter when once devoured."

"Swanky. What the hell's that mean?" Dean asked. I was confused too.

"Well, it's from a very obscure, very arcane version of Revelations." Sam explained. I groaned inwardly… not more apocalypse crap.

"Which means what I think it means?" Dean asked frustrated.

"Basically, you kill a reaper under the solstice moon—tomorrow night, by the way" I hung my head in defeat. Why couldn't it ever be in a week rather than in the next twenty-four hours? "—you got yourself a broken seal."

"How do you ice a reaper? You can't kill death." Dean stated.

"I don't know. Maybe demons can." Sam replied.

"There must be some kind of hierarchy that we don't know about, something more deathly than a reaper." I pointed out.

"Where the hell are the angels is what I want to know. We could use their help for once." Sam said from beside me. I felt sick as Castiel's name popped into my head. We still didn't know where he was or if he was alright. This 'Zachariah' all the angels kept going on about; he didn't sound so friendly and I didn't trust him to look after Cas. God knew if Anna or Nathaniel or even Micah was still alive. I had dragged my fair share of angels down but I wasn't proud of it. They were the only four I trusted.

"Call down Uriel." I said reluctantly. They both glanced at each other before looking at me.

"No." Dean replied. I gave him an incredulous look.

"Dean, we're dealing with something that kills _death_. We could get ourselves a one-way ticket to hell if we breathe funny on this case." I pointed out to him. I didn't need my hate for Uriel to be the reason death got the upper hand on my family.

"Lex." Sam called to me and I looked over. "Whether your story is true or not, we-" he pointed to himself and Dean. "-don't trust Uriel." He told me.

"It looks like we're gonna have to take care of this one ourselves." Dean stated.

"What are we gonna do, just swing in and save the friendly neighborhood reaper?" I asked, not sure where to start if we didn't have angels around to give us a boost. I really missed Castiel… I wanted him to be with us.

"You got a better idea, I'm all ears." Dean replied. I looked over to Sam for help. He smiled at Dean, almost like Dean didn't realize what he was proposing.

"Dean, reapers are invisible. The only people that can see them are the dead and the dying." He pointed out trying to remind Dean we didn't really have a starting point.

"Well, if ghosts are the only ones that can see them..." he said slowly.

"Yeah?" Sam replied uneasily. I didn't know where Dean was going with this, but I had a feeling I wouldn't like it.

"Then we become ghosts." He replied like it was common knowledge. He put the icepack back to his head, smirking at both of us. My smile turned to a frown as I realized he was serious.

"You do have a concussion." I said leaning forward.

"Sounds crazy, I know." Dean replied as I stared at him. Sam seemed a little more amused than I would have liked.

"It is crazy." I said sternly. Dean just continued to smirk.

"How?" Sam asked.

* * *

I did not like this idea one bit. We had spent a good portion of our lives learning how to kill ghosts and what their weaknesses were. I wasn't exactly thrilled to visit the ghostly plane and chill with the reapers. But being Alexis Winchester made me smarter than that. I had convinced my brothers to let me stay human so I could fight off ghost wards for them from our plane. Also, this way, if I happened to run into Alastair, I could have a little chat without Dean getting in between.

There was knock on the door meaning Dean was here. Sam got up to open it and revealed Pamela Barnes, the beautiful psychic, standing on the other side with Dean. She walked in shaking her head.

"I can't even begin to tell you how crazy you two are." She said as she felt around for the bench. I stood up and walked over to her, enveloping her in a hug. The guilt behind watching her lose her sight never ceased.

"Alexis." She smiled and returned the hug. "You my dear, are still the smart one." She told me. I led her to the chair.

"You don't have to tell me twice." I smiled and then glared at my sheepish brothers.

"Well, Pamela, you're a sight for sore eyes." Sam said. I gave him a look which pretty much read 'why would you even?' He closed the door as she turned around and lowered her sunglasses revealing her white, plastic eyes.

"Aw, that's sweet, grumpy." She put her sunglasses back up and Dean grinned at Sam. "What do you say to deaf people?" she asked. I hid my chuckle, Dean looked down smiling and Sam just looked plain uncomfortable. "Which one of you brainiacs came up with astral projection?" she asked. Dean raised his hand.

"Yo." He let out with a childlike expression. Pamela scoffed and nodded knowingly.

"Of course. Chachi." She replied. I looked over to the boys, confused. Dean mouthed 'Chachi?' at us and we both shrugged. Don't ask me to enter the perverted mind of Pamela Barnes.

"So, let's be clear. You want to rip your souls out of your bodies and take a little stroll through the spirit world?" she asked.

"Mm-hm." Dean mumbled.

"Do you have any idea how heavy-duty insane that is?" she asked folding her arms over her chest. I sat back and watched her tell them off. This was my heaven.

"Maybe, but that's where the reaper is, so..." Dean defended gesturing with his hand.

"So, it's nuts." Pamela interjected. I smiled from beside her.

"What'd I say?" I directed at the boys. Dean glared at me.

"Not if you know what you're doing." He replied ignoring me.

"You don't know what you're doing." Pamela pointed out and I laughed silently beside her.

"No, but you do." Dean replied putting all his faith in her.

"Yeah, I do. And guess what? I'm sick of being hauled back into your angel-demon, Soc-Greaser crap." She shot at him. She had a point… her sight was gone because of us.

"Look, I'd love to be kicking back with a cold one, watching Judge Judy, too." Dean started. He was so damn insensitive.

"Nice. More blind jokes?" Pamela scoffed.

"You know what I mean." Dean replied pointedly. "We're talking the end of the world here, okay? No more tasseled leather pants, no more Ramones CDs, no more nothing." He said forcefully before pausing. "We need your help."

* * *

I sat on Dean's bed facing Pamela while Sam closed the curtains. Dean shut his lighter and dropped it on the table. He picked up one of the lit candles and handed it to me, pointing at the bedside table. I placed it on the table and looked back over at Pamela who was seated in chair between the beds.

"Tell me something, geniuses. Even if you do break into the veil and you find the reaper, how are you gonna save it?" She asked skeptically. Sam shut another curtain.

"With style and class." Dean replied put his arms out mimicking a 1920's mobster.

"You're gonna be two walking pieces of fog who can't touch or move anything. You'll be defenseless, hotshot." She pointed out.

"I seem to recall a bunch of ghosts beating the crap out of us." Sam replied and I smiled at the truth of that sentence.

"Yeah, well, they had plenty of time to practice." Pamela sighed.

"Well, then, I guess we got to start cramming." Dean replied as he looked over to me. "Plus, we got a man topside. Lex can do the heavy lifting for once." He winked at me. The plan was for me to follow the EMF readings so I could help the boys out.

"Wow, couple of heroes. All right." She patted the bed. "Lie down. Close your eyes." She ordered as I got up, allowing the boys to lie down.

* * *

It had been about half an hour since Pamela started chanting. Sam and Dean were both lying on the beds, Sam more so diagonally because of his huge body, but they both seemed relaxed. I stood a little further behind Pamela, leaning against the desk with Dad's journal in my hand. I missed him too sometimes. Just having that reassuring figure in my life, knowing that if something happened to Dean, I could rely on Dad to fix it.

But Dad was gone, which left Dean as my responsibility.

"Animum vult decipi, ergo decipiatur. Vis, vis, vis. Okay, guys." She said softly and I looked up at the boys. They didn't move. "That's it. Showtime." She said as she twirled her hair around her finger. I felt a strange feeling within me but nothing happened. I walked forward and put my hand on Pamela's shoulder. She reached back and rested her hand above mine.

"All right, so, I'm assuming you're somewhere over the rainbow. Remember I have to bring you back." She said to no one… or I guess the boys who were now spirits. I felt very uneasy at the situation. She stood up and walked over towards Sam. "I'll whisper the incantation in your ear." She said softly as she leaned over into Sam's ear and said something.

"So I'm free to do my thing?" I asked her when she stood back up. She nodded towards me.

"Yeah, go ahead. They won't be able to communicate with you for the obvious reasons but if they learn the tricks of the trade, they might be able to get a message across." She told me. I took out the EMF reader and turned it on. It went ballistic.

"Okay." I said quickly shutting it off. "I guess that answers that question." I turned to Pamela. "You sit tight, I'm outta here." I told her as I headed to the door.

"Look out for yourself Lex." She warned me. I opened the door and stepped outside.

"Will do." I replied as I left. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Sam **

We followed Lex out of the motel and down the main road. She pulled out her phone and put it to her ear. Smart-ass.

"So, how about I make a round of the town and if we don't find anything exciting, I'll go snooping around Cole Griffith's house?" she asked into the phone.

"What do you think?" I asked Dean. He didn't love the idea of Lex being on a completely different plane and I couldn't argue with him. We just had to hope Alastair had more important things to do for the time being and if he did make an appearance, Lex would just have to run.

"Let's stick close by her for now, then we'll go from there." He replied as Lex pulled put the EMF reader. It was still beeping away so she took that as a 'yes' and kept walking. We followed her down the street and the next thing I knew, a woman ran straight through me. I gasped as my chest went cold. Dean laughed from beside me as he watched the woman run by.

"That was wild." He smiled at me stupidly. Would he ever grow up? I shot him an incredulous look just before the idiot put his arm in my chest.

This was so inappropriate.

I fumed at his arm and the looked up to his stony expression.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Get out of me." I demanded. He pulled his arm back, disappointed.

"You're such a prude. Come on." He motioned as he followed Lex. She walked up to the shops at a determined pace with Dean and I jogging to catch up.

"Where is she going?" Dean asked me confused. I shrugged as we followed her. Come on Lex; we had a job to do. She turned into the local candy shop and Dean grinned.

"That's my girl." He said smugly as he followed her in. This was not part of the job. I sighed as I reluctantly followed Dean in. There was candy everywhere and Dean was way too happy for a twenty-nine year old for a shop like this. Lex walked up to the counter which was being manned by a twenty-something year old guy. I already didn't have a great feeling about this but I felt worse when Lex unbuttoned her jacket.

"Hey." She smiled at him as she got closer. Dean's face fell as he saw what Lex was doing.

"Hey there." The guy replied smiling. He quickly hid his issue of playboy and leaned on the counter with his eyes focusing on all the wrong parts of Lex.

"Do you have any sugar free candy? Stuff that's okay for asthmatic children?" she asked him. Okay, I didn't know what she was doing.

"What's going on?" I asked Dean who glaring holes through the shopkeepers head.

"Cole Griffiths died of an asthma attack," he said in a low voice. "…and Lex is exploiting her charm." He finished. He walked ahead of Lex hoping his invisible body would cover her up.

"Yeah, actually. There are a few kids in town with asthma so we do have a sugar free section." He pointed the area out happily. Lex turned to see where he was pointing and he leaned forward to check out her ass. Dean didn't hesitate; he punched the guy right in that face.

Unfortunately nothing happened.

"Thanks," she replied, turning back, "asthma is a serious problem these days." She told him knowingly. He smiled goofily back at her.

"Yeah, I know. There was a kid who used to come here all the time; he died about a week or so back from an asthma attack." He blurted out trying to keep the conversation going. Lex feigned a look of horror.

"Oh, I think I read about that. Wasn't his name something Griffiths? I wanted to attend the wake." She replied sadly. I had to give Lex credit; she knew her way around discrete interrogation.

"His name was Cole. He was a good kid and the ceremony was beautiful, you know but his mom had a break down at the funeral home." He replied looking for sympathy.

"That's so sad." Lex said softly giving him all the attention he needed.

"Yeah, I was close to Mrs. Griffiths but she's been havin' a hard time." He paused, "She keeps saying she feels Cole in the house." He looked up at Lex but not before glancing at her chest. Dean noticed too and growled before he threw another punch.

This time it worked. His head went flying to the side and Lex jumped back in surprise. I laughed at the guys face; he was scared out of his mind. Dean looked at his fist and then over at me with smiling.

"What was that?" he asked holding his cheek. Lex took a step back and smiled uneasily at the guy.

"I have no idea." She replied. "Look, I think it's time I go." She admitted as she walked away towards the entrance. He followed her movements.

"Oh no you don't." Dean declared as he stood in the guy's path. He tried to move past Dean but instead he went flying back a few feet after Dean threw another punch. He was getting better at this. I walked out of the shop alongside Lex with Dean following closely behind. We crossed the street before Lex switched on the EMF to confirm we were with her. Then she pulled out her phone and put it to her ear.

"I had a hunch." She defended herself quickly. "And it required me to flirt around a little." She added.

"Doesn't mean we have to like it." I muttered glancing up at Dean.

"She's a little too good at that." Dean pointed out in frustration.

"It's time we split then. You guys take a tour of the town; I'll go talk to Mrs. Griffiths." She told us. Dean looked up at me in panic.

"No, no, no. Sammy, Alastair's still out there. We can't leave her alone." He said quickly.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'm sure Alastair has a list of important things to do before he comes looking for me." She added knowing what Dean would be thinking.

"She'll be fine." I assured Dean not believing myself. I had faith in Lex as a hunter, but there was something in Dean's eyes when he talked about Alastair, which made me want to scoop Lex up and skip town.

"Sammy-" Dean started unsurely as Lex started walking away.

"The quicker we scope town, the quicker we can stop this." I told him. "Come on." I pulled him in the opposite direction as we watched Lex disappear around the corner.

* * *

**Lex**

I had run to the town library and looked up Cole Griffith's house address before heading over. It wasn't Cole I was interested in; it was whether or not I could get any clues from his house or the funeral home. I approached the house with caution, watching to see if there was anyone who would see me break in. Unfortunately for me, Mrs. Griffith pulled up in her car at the same time and I watched her walk into the house. I guess I had to wait.

In the meantime I sat in the Impala thinking about what I could do to show Dean that Alastair wasn't a threat. The obvious solution was to kill him but we knew the knife didn't work. I could always try exorcising him but I doubted that would work either.

As stupid as it sounded, maybe I could talk to him. If there was something he wanted then maybe…

No.

He'd kill me anyway. His beef was with Dean and he knew the ultimate torture for Dean, was to torture Sam or myself. Alastair knew Dean's secrets and he was going to put me on the rack eventually. One day, I would be put in the same position Dean was once in but no angel would come down to hell looking for me. I wasn't the chosen one like Dean was… I was just Alexis.

I laid back in the front seat hoping Sam and Dean were having better luck than me.

Twenty minutes or so went by before I saw a teary-eyed Mrs. Griffiths leave the house. That was my cue. I was out of the car and at the door in record time, slipping in unnoticed by anyone on the street.

I pulled out the EMF reader and it spiked right up. Either the kid was still in the house or Sam and Dean had come to visit. Either way… I wasn't at risk.

"Cole, I know you're here." I said slowly hoping if he was, he wouldn't hurt me. "I want to let you know that I'm not here to hurt you or your family. I'm not here to steal either; I just wanted to search the house for clues as to what's going on in this town." I said clearly hoping Cole would cut me some slack. Seeing as nothing came flying at me, I took it as a sign to search the house without having to worry.

* * *

**Dean**

We had found Cole. He was in his house and after a bit of convincing; he had opened up to us. That was before the new reaper, Tessa, came barging in. She happened to be the same reaper that came after me in the hospital after out accident and she was here to clean up the unnatural mess left behind by Alastair. Cole had gone running upstairs the second he realized she was here for him but Sam followed closely behind, hoping he'd get the information we needed.

Tessa on the other hand had agreed to stand down until we dealt with the demons that were kicking a fuss in this town. She and I were downstairs when we heard the front door open. We watched Lex slip into the house.

"Ankle-biter." I breathed a sigh of relief. She was alright. I watched Lex clear the ground floor before she headed upstairs. Only she would find her way into the house with such timing.

"I remember her at the hospital." Tessa said to me watching Lex disappear upstairs. "Not that I feel a whole lot when I collect but there was something about her that made me rethink taking you." She looked over at me. I turned to her, confused. Reapers weren't meant to feel anything.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, not remembering a whole lot about the accident.

"Well, she spent all her time lying beside you while you were in the coma." She explained. The memories were blurry but I didn't remember Lex staying with me. I thought Lex was confined to her own bed while she was healing. "She didn't visit your father, she didn't help Sam… she just stayed with you. For some reason I felt I'd be taking part of her with me if I took you and she wasn't on my list. I had been conflicted at the time." She said to me.

My heart clenched. Lex trusted me so much… Last year it had scared me to think what would happen to her after I was taken to hell. How would she cope without me around to keep her out of trouble and reassure her when she was scared? She thought she needed me to survive but the truth was I needed her more than she could ever need me.

Lex's love was undying and unconditional. No matter what I did or how severely I screwed up, she didn't care. As long as I was around, she was happy.

"Lex has that effect." I said quietly.

"I'll tell you, life is funny." Tessa said to me. What was she on about now?

"What do you mean?" I asked her as she moved closer to me with her arms crossed.

"You and me, together again." She said softly. I smiled, thinking of the possibilities.

"Are you—are you making a move on me?" I asked her with uncertainty. She shook her head.

"You're the one that got away, Dean. You'd be surprised how little that happens to me." She replied gently. She wasn't the only one that thought that. For a long time, I knew I should have been dead and there were a lot of times I felt I didn't have the strength to go on.

"Can I tell you something between you and me?" I asked her quietly. She didn't break her gaze.

"Who am I gonna tell?" she asked with a hint of amusement. She was a reaper after all.

"After our little, uh, experience..." I paused, thinking of the right words. "…for that whole year, I felt like I had this...hole in my gut...like I was missing something. I didn't know what. Do you know what it was?" I asked her. "It was you. The pain of losing my father and Sammy. I just...I wish I had gone with you for good." I told her. "But I had Alexis to look after. I guess things are different now." I admitted.

"What? The angels on your shoulder?" she asked. I guess she knew.

"So, you know about that, huh? Well, hey, don't get me wrong. I mean, most of the ones I've met are dicks with wings. But still..." I looked away, "You know, I've done things. Horrible things. And someone upstairs still decided to give me a second chance." I felt my throat tighten. "It just makes me feel...I don't know." I shook my head and blinked away the tears.

"Uh-huh." She replied. I looked at her confused. She didn't agree with me.

Sam cleared his throat from the stairs and we looked over to see Cole standing behind him. Lex was also on the stairs, making her way down, without her gun meaning she felt safe in the house.

"Hey, guys." Sam said quietly as Lex walked past the four of us and into the living room. Sam must have explained to Cole that Lex was our sister.

"Hey, Cole. I'm Tessa. I'm not going to hurt you." Tessa told him softly. The kid still looked a little spooked by her.

"It's okay, Cole. Just tell them what you told me." Sam urged him. Cole thought for a moment.

"I saw the black smoke at my funeral." He told us. Sam glanced back at me.

"At the cemetery?" I asked. We had seen Alastair there so I wasn't too surprised.

"At the funeral home. It was everywhere." He explained. Suddenly the lights began to flicker and Lex pulled out her gun from behind us.

"Sam? Dean?" she asked looking around. I looked to Tessa.

"You doing that?" I asked her, hoping it was. I didn't need Lex to be vulnerable right now but she seemed to catch on as she took out the demon knife and moved towards the window.

"No." Tessa replied. The front doors flew open and black smoke poured in, filling the house. I ducked down and I saw Sam leap across towards Lex just before smoke entered the living room. And then it was gone.

So was Tessa.

"Tessa!" I yelled as we stood upright. There was no response.

"Lex!" Sam yelled. I spun around to where Sam was standing… without Alexis. No, no, no, NO! Sam looked to Cole.

"He took her." I breathed. Sam's expression mirrored mine. Fear.

Alastair had Alexis…

"We gotta move, now" I said to Sam before I looked over at Cole. "You're gonna to have to teach us some ghost moves."

* * *

**Lex**

I rolled my head on the pillow feeling dizzy. Where was I? I groaned as I pried open my eyes and was faced with a bright light.

"Jesus." I exclaimed as I shut my eyes tight again. I went to cover my face but my hands were restrained. I pulled at them again and felt leather straps holding them down. I tried moving my feet as well but met the same obstacle.

I was hogtied.

"Good morning sweetheart."

I turned my head to see Alastair appear from shadows. No, this couldn't be happening. He walked over to me and patted the gurney I was on.

"It's not quite the rack, but it's a start." He smiled as he leaned in close to me. On the plus side, I was still wearing clothes. Then there was the fact I could barely move and Alastair, the demon torture expert, was standing less than a foot away.

"Don't you have a seal to break?" I asked, trying to stall him. He put a hand on my shoulder and ran his nose along my cheek. I tried to turn away but he held my head in place.

"So fresh." He noted. "Untouched and pure." He enunciated each word. "Of course the seal must be broken but I have a few minutes to spare, my lovely." he replied. I scoffed in response.

"What's your deal Alastair? Do you like to see girls squirm or is it just me?" I asked again hoping he wouldn't pull out anything sharp. He clicked his tongue three times before smelling the air.

"Oh, Alexis. There's no fun in just torturing you." He explained as he walked towards my head. "Dean is my student. Your torture hardly means anything if Dean can't see it." He said slowly. I was right about this bastard… he was all kinds of fucked.

"So that's what you're waiting for?" I asked him, my eyes darting around the room for a door. Alastair kept walking around me.

"No, no, no. I just wanted to have a little chat before your brothers showed up to save the day. You see, you are 'Baby Winchester'. Both heaven and hell have a fascination with you." He sneered as he ran his finger over my stomach.

"Yeah, and what's that?" I asked staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore his hands on my body.

"What, you don't know?" he asked me curiously. No, I didn't. He threw his head back and laughed out loud. "My dear, sweet, sweet child. No one knows how you came to be." He explained. That wasn't news to me. Mom delivering me from the beyond was a strange scenario and not everyone understood how it worked, but I didn't understand why that kept Alastair fascinated.

"Yeah, so I had a supernatural birth. What's that got to do with you?" I asked him. Alastair ran the back of his hand along my foot and I jerked away. I was ticklish… sue me.

"Sensitive feet. We should start with those." He grinned. "Yes we all know how mother Mary pushed you through the veil but what nobody understands is… how. You see…" he walked back into the shadows before emerging with a silver trolley. I began breathing faster when I realized what was on the trolley. Torture instruments. "…you weren't written in the big story. There was no Alexis Winchester." He told me as he sorted through his syringes.

What did he mean there was no Alexis Winchester. I was right here. I existed, which meant I was supposed to be here, on earth, just like everyone else. Alastair selected a syringe of his choice and pushed the air out of it.

"But out of nowhere, there you were." He pulled out a black bottle and opened the lid. "You annoyed quite a few people upstairs. No thread of fate, not records in the big book but somehow you managed to slip into the Winchester family." He placed the syringe inside the bottle and extracted the black fluid.

Was he lying about my fate? It was impossible. For me to exist, someone had to write me in. Heaven must have known I was to be born… it didn't make sense otherwise.

"So you can see why everyone wants a piece of you." He smiled at me and smelt my hair. "And I need to see what makes your pretty face tweet before I put on a show for Dean." He grabbed my arm and I started jerking away. It didn't do a damn thing; Alastair's leather binding was very effective. He injected the liquid into my arm and I felt the coolness spread throughout my body.

My breathing became shaky involuntarily and Alastair smiled.

"Well, that worked." He patted the area he had injected. "Just a little something to liven your nerves." He whispered. Everything was heightened and it was on the verge of becoming painful. I was guessing even a pinch would send me into cardiac arrest… I couldn't imagine the things Alastair could do to me now. He spun around, obviously hearing something and grabbed the side of my restraints; wheeling me towards the door.

"It's time." He said with excitement as he pulled me along.

I was so screwed.

* * *

**Sam**

We had picked up all we could off Cole and made our way over to the funeral home as soon as possible. As we approached, we noticed the walls of the funeral home were covered in glowing blue diagrams, mostly six-sided figures, some in circles and some in squares, all with lines through them creating smaller triangles within. Nobody could see them but us.

"This looks like New Jack City. Can nobody can see this?" Dean asked me. I looked around at the pedestrians walking by, not one of them fazed by the glowing blue ink.

"Maybe it's demon invisible ink. Only see it in the veil." I suggested.

"Any idea what it's for?" Dean asked. I had no clue.

"We'll find out." I told him as I led the way inside. The door was wide open allowing easy access to the building. Dean went right and I went left, looking for some sign of Tessa or Lex. Neither of us found anything.

Dean turned around and we walked a little further to find an open space, probably where they held the viewings, with an eight-pointed star marked on the floor. Tessa and the first reaper were lying inside the markings, both unconscious. There was a man with his back turned to us, guarding the reapers.

"Dude, check me out." Dean whispered to me before he vanished. Then he reappeared inches behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. The guy turned around confused, right before Dean hooked him. The guy fell to the floor and then scrambled up taking a swing but Dean had disappeared.

It was my turn.

I appeared behind him and tapped his shoulder before hooking him hard. Dean caught him as he spun and punched him again. I grabbed the guy and kneed him in the chest just as he began scrambling away. Dean kicked at him as he slid behind the coffin on the dais. The two of us went either way, cornering him behind the coffin.

"You know, this ghost thing, it's, it's kind of rad." Dean pointed out. I took a deep breath, ready to beat the crap out of this dude. Suddenly we heard a sizzling sound and metal clinking. The guy behind the coffin jumped over and snuck behind us as we turned to see another man pulling a thick metal chain into our path. His hands were burning indicating the chain was made of iron. He linked it to a candle stand, trapping us in rectangle.

"It's iron." I told Dean as the man let go of the chain, his hands still smoking. We looked around us and noticed they had iron on each side.

"Boys." We looked up. "Find the place okay?" A man stood at the opposite end of the room with an elevated gurney beside him. His eyes rolled to white as we recognized the girl strapped down.

Alexis.

Alastair.

* * *

Alexis was strapped tight to the gurney and her breathing was uneven. This bastard had hurt both my brother and my sister. I was going to send his ass to hell even if it was the last thing I did.

"What did you do to her?" Dean asked fuming silently beside me. Alastair's eyes returned to human as he walked towards us.

"Just getting her ready. The fun hasn't begun yet." He replied smiling at Dean as he approached the iron chains.

"Let her go Alastair, it's me you want." Dean said through clenched teeth. Lex gasped from the other end of the room and squirmed in her straps. My blood boiled. Alastair smiled at the sound of Lex in pain and looked smugly up at Dean.

"She's mine for the taking." He replied as one of the demons handed him a shotgun.

"You want me back on the rack, fine." Dean spat. "But leave Alexis out of this." He demanded. Alastair checked the shotgun before aiming at Dean and firing. Dean disappeared from sight and Alastair was an asshole.

"Rock salt's not so much fun anymore, is it?" he asked me. All I could so was glare at him before Dean reappeared.

"Alastair. You bastard." He spat. Alastair kept his eyes on me, daring me to use my powers on him now.

"Well, go on. Why don't you try some of your mojo on me now, hotshot?" he asked. No, I didn't need Dean to know I was juiced up. "It's hard to get it up when you're not wearing your meat, huh?"

"Go to hell." I clenched my fists by my side.

"Ah, if only I could." Alastair replied turning away and walking towards Alexis. Both Dean and I tensed up as he rubbed his hand across her face. "But they just keep sending me back up to this arctic craphole."

"To kill death?" Dean asked, wanting the attention off Lex.

"No, to kill death twice. It takes two to break a seal." He replied gesturing to the reapers. "I figured another one would show up, though. They're like lemmings." He said as he pumped his shotgun before firing at me. The pain was agonizing and my world went black. I wasn't sure where I was.

Finally the pain lightened and I appeared beside Dean again with my arms wrapped around my aching torso.

"You can shoot us all you want, but you can't kill us." Dean said to Alastair as I kept slightly hunched.

"Ah, that so?" he asked. All he did was lift a finger and Lex screamed from behind him. I saw red as I stepped forward but the iron burnt me, restricting me from going further.

"Let her go." I told him, fury evident on my face. He smiled in retaliation. One of the demons came up to him and handed him a scythe in place of the shotgun. Dean was watching Lex writhe in the back with a pained expression on his face. Alastair turned the scythe over in his hands.

"Anywho… moon's in the right spot. The board is set. Let's get started, shall we?" he asked the both of us.

"You're gonna kill a reaper with that? It's little on the nose, don't you think?" Dean asked him.

"Is it?" Alastair asked feigning innocence. "An old friend lent it to me. You know, he doesn't really ride a pale horse? But he does have three amigos." Alastair replied as he walked over to the reapers. "And they're just jonesing for the apocalypse." He raised his voice. He knelt beside the old man reaper. "It pays to have friends in low places." He smiled as he grabbed the reaper by his collar and hauled him up. "Don't you think?" he asked.

He placed the scythe behind the reaper's neck before chanting.

"Hic cruor messorius, illud sigillum, quod luciferem reverendum obstringit, aperiat ut resurgat!" his voice grew louder throughout and finally he pulled the scythe. A white-blue light blasted from the reaper's body, forcing us to shut out eyes. The reaper was dead. Alastair placed the man's head back on the floor and stood up.

I noticed the chandelier above the reapers just as Alastair pulled Tessa to her knees. She awoke instantly and Alastair put the scythe to her neck. I glanced at Dean and discreetly motioned to the chandelier. It was the only way we could get Tessa out.

"Stop!" Tessa exclaimed. I put all my concentration into moving the chandelier; pretty sure Dean was doing the same thing beside me.

"Hic cruor messorius illud sigillum, quod luciferem reverendum obstringit-" the chandelier was shaking with the force Dean and I were applying. "—aperiat ut-" the chandelier fell beside Tessa breaking the reaper trap. "—resurgat!" Alastiar finished as Tessa vanished.

She reappeared at the candle stand and unhooked the iron chains, setting us free.

"Bye-bye." Dean remarked as we vanished.

* * *

**Lex**

Feverish temperature flashes. Muscle contraction. Shortness of breath.

It was all happening to me at the same time. Alastair was talking to people in the room but I couldn't see them. There was no one in the eight-pointed star on the floor and I couldn't see Sam and Dean trapped behind the iron chains.

The perks of being human.

Apparently they were there and the seal was about to be broken until the chandelier fell and scratched the markings on the ground. Sam and Dean had gotten really good at this ghost thing. The iron chains unhooked itself and Alastair growled.

Sam and Dean had to get back to their bodies before they could help me out and there was a lot Alastair could do in that time. However I was no closer to escaping because whatever he had injected in me was screwing with my senses and effectively cutting off my ability to do anything useful.

I heard Alastair make his way over to me but any movement I made only added to the pain.

"Time to visit Dean." He said as he undid the leather straps. Although I still had my clothes on, my weapons had been taken from me and I wasn't wearing shoes or socks.

"What?" I breathed. What was he doing? He lifted my limp body up and pulled me off the gurney into his arms.

"Leverage." He whispered into me ear.

Suddenly we were outside in an alleyway and Alastair had a knife to my neck. He was holding me up; my legs were useless at the moment and he was keeping my close. What was he waiting for?

"You can't run" he said into the empty alley. "Dean."

Guess it wasn't that empty.

* * *

**Dean**

"You can't run" he paused. "Dean."

I turned to see Alastair standing with a knife to Lex's throat. She was out of it and there was something very wrong with her breathing. I looked up at him in anger. I couldn't help Lex from here… I needed a body. He began moving closer to me, dragging Lex with him.

"Not from me. I'm inside that angsty little noggin of yours." He said slowly. I racked my brain for anyway to get Lex away from him.

Out of nowhere, a blue-white lighting struck down from the sky and hit Alastair. I covered my face and when I looked back up, he was gone… Lex too.

"Lex?" I asked, panic taking over. She had to be alright. "What the hell?" I willed her to appear again.

"Guess again." Came a voice from behind. I knew that voice. I turned around to see Castiel standing behind me, with Lex in his arms. Thank God. I strode up to him, ready to pull Lex close but my hands went through her. I sighed in frustration as Castiel held her up.

"Not yet Dean." He said calmly. "You need your body." He explained. If Lex was with Cas, she was safe.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked him, relieved to see he was okay. "And what-" I began asking, motioning to where Alastair disappeared from.

"What just happened? You and Sam just saved a seal. We captured Alastair. Dean, this was a victory." He said. Did this mean he was here the whole freaking time? And he didn't bother to drop in and let us know he was okay? Lex whimpered in his arms and he placed his hand on her cheek. She calmed down and her breathing slowed.

"Well, no thanks to you." I shot at him, mad that couldn't help us out.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, confused. I couldn't believe it.

"You were here the whole time?" I accused him, keeping an eye on Lex.

"Enough of it." He answered looking away. Didn't he understand this wasn't alright?

"Well, thanks for your help with the rock salt." I said, anger evident in my voice.

"That script on the funeral home—we couldn't penetrate it." He replied, still not looking at me. I guess that made a little more sense now.

"That was angel-proofing." He explained pulling Lex closer as she gasped in her unconscious state. I needed to get back to my body. I needed to make sure Lex was fine and that Alastair hadn't… the panic grew within. "Why do you think I recruited you and Sam in the first place?" Cas asked, finally looking at me.

"You recruited us?" I asked. Bobby gave us this job.

"That wasn't your friend Bobby who called, Dean. It wasn't Bobby who told Sam about the seal." He explained. Wait.

"That was you?" I asked, not believing it. Cas looked down, not holding eye contact. "If you wanted our help, why the hell didn't you just ask?" I asked. I didn't know where Cas had been, but it had changed him.

"Because whatever I ask, you seem to do the exact opposite." He retaliated with too much attitude for an angel. I sighed looking away.

"So, what now, huh? The people in this town, they just gonna start dying again?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied not understanding the problem in that.

"These are good people. What, you think you can make a few exceptions?" I asked him. Was it really that hard to let a few people live?

"To everything there is a season." Was his response. This wasn't fair.

"You made an exception for me." I pointed out. He paused before looking up at me.

"You're different." He said. Then he was gone, Lex with him, and Tessa was in his place.

"Dean? I could use your help." She said quietly. I sighed… it was time to clean this mess up.

* * *

**Lex**

I opened my eyes to see myself standing in a white room. Where was I now? Where was Alastair?

"You're safe Alexis."

I spun around at the sound of his voice. It couldn't be.

Castiel stood behind me, in all his trench coat glory. I ducked my head down a little in awe.

"Cas?" I asked, not believing he was here. He continued to stare at me while I took him in. He looked fine… healthy at least. He wasn't bloody and broken; still in one piece. Was he really back from heaven's 'obedience training'?

"Cas." I breathed in relief as I stepped towards him and grabbed his coat. I pulled him towards me and shut my eyes as I rested my head on his chest. He was here. He put a hand on my shoulder and I stepped back chuckling. "Are you okay?" I asked him, searching his face. He nodded slightly.

"I'm fine." He replied, keeping his eyes on me. Well, as long as he was alright.

"What happened to you?" I asked needing to know what the angels had done to him. "Where did Uriel or this 'Zachariah' take you?" He pressed his lips together with uncertainty before answering.

"I'm not sure. I just understand what my job is now." He replied. He didn't remember his time being disciplined? What did they do to him?

"And what's that?" I asked, not sure if I would like the answer.

"To stop the sixty-six seals from being broken and to stop Lucifer from rising." He replied. Well, at least we were on the same page with that. I went to ask him more but he held my hand in both of his and stopped me. "I know you have questions… all three of you," he said, referring to Sam and Dean as well. "…but I must go now." He told me. I didn't want him to go, I needed his help. What if they took him from us? He noticed my discomfort and took a step closer so his face was above mine. "I will see you again." He promised.

Then he was gone.

"Cas?" I said hopelessly into the empty room.

Everything went dark.

* * *

**Sam**

I had woken up in time to see Pamela get stabbed… and then I had done some exorcising of my own. The bastard that stuck a knife in her was nice and toasty by now. I had to stay here with Pamela and hope that Dean had Lex taken care of. Lex's tired and drugged face was etched into my memory for good and there was no forgiveness, anywhere on heaven, hell or earth, for someone who used her against us.

Pamela was sitting on the edge of Dean's bed, one hand to the stab wound and leaning on the other while she whispered the incantation into his ear. I watched her from the window.

"Imum vult decipi, ergo decipiatur. Vis, vis, vis." she finished and she got up to move onto my bed. I helped her take a seat while she held her bloodless wound. If she wasn't dying yet, maybe Tessa would see reason.

"Hey, we just got to talk to Tessa, that's all. Get her to hold off reaping till we get you better." I said to her. Pamela winced as she leaned back.

"I'm pretty sure she's started up again." Pamela commented. I looked down at her hand and watched the blood pour out. This meant that Dean had helped Tessa collect Cole and now she was moving on to us.

Dean gasped from beside us and sat upright in bed. Pamela took a sip of her drink as Dean looked over and saw the blood.

"Where's Lex?" I asked Dean. He glanced at me before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"She's fine." He kept his eyes on Pamela who was breathing hard. "What happened?" he asked.

"Dean, where's Tessa?" I asked, hoping he had made her seen reason.

"She's..." he trailed off not knowing what to say. He gave me a knowing glance, confirming my fears. Pamela took of her sunglasses and focused on her breathing.

"Pamela, I'm so sorry." I apologized remembering she was reluctant to help us.

"Stop." She whispered.

"You don't deserve this." I continued ignoring her.

"Yeah, I don't." she chuckled shakily, "I told you I didn't want anything to do with this." She said her voice trembling. "Do me a favor? Tell that bastard Bobby Singer—to go to hell for ever introducing me to you three in the first place." She said making me feel like shit. She started coughing.

"Take it easy, Pamela. If it's any consolation, you're going to a better place." Dean said sincerely. I could tell he didn't believe it himself. Pamela turned her head a little towards Dean.

"You're lying." She said plainly. I looked over at Dean… I guess she could tell as well. "But what the hell, right? Everybody's got to go sometime." She added, breathing heavily. There was silence for a moment before she beckoned me closer. "Come here." She said as I leaned forward. She brought her lips to my ear.

"I know what you did to that demon, Sam." She whispered so Dean couldn't hear. My eyes widened in fear. How did she know? "I can feel what's inside of you. If you think you have good intentions, think again." She said. The sinking feeling within me grew.

Pamela began coughing again as she leant back against the headboard. She went silent.

"Pamela?" I asked. Her head slid down a little.

"Pamela!" Dean said louder. She was dead. Dean looked over to me, the curiosity evident in his face.

"What did she say to you?" he asked. I couldn't tell him. He couldn't know I was drinking demon blood… not Dean. There was a sound behind us and we both turned around to see Lex standing in the corner. She looked at the both of us and smiled.

Then she fell forward.

* * *

**Lex**

I appeared in our motel room to see Sam and Dean sitting on the beds, facing a dead Pamela. What the fuck was going on? Both my brothers turned around at the sound of me and I saw relief on their faces when they saw I was alright.

Before I could do anything else, my knees buckled.

Dean rushed to his feet and caught me mid-fall.

"Hey, hey, ankle-biter." He said pulling me up and brushing my hair out of my face. "You're okay." Sam moved around his bed and helped Dean sit me down on Dean's bed.

"How did she get here?" Sam asked Dean as he sat beside me.

"Castiel." Dean replied crouching down in front of me. Sam put his arm around my shoulders and made me lean into him. It was probably the best thing to do seeing as my body was no longer taking orders from my brain.

"Cas is here?" Sam asked. Dean gave him a pointed look before resting his palm against my cheek.

"Lex, can you hear me?" he asked. I swallowed and tried to focus on Dean's face.

"Yeah." I breathed so softly that I could barely hear myself.

"Lex, this is important." Dean said to me, trying to keep eye contact with my fluttering eyes. "What did Alastair do to you?" he asked. I could hear the panic in his voice. Well that was thing, he hadn't done anything but inject me with that black crap. I gripped Dean's jacket and he held my wrist, helplessly waiting for an answer.

"I don't know." I muttered breathing heavily. What was going on?

"Come on Alexis. THINK!" he yelled at me and I jumped a little at his volume. "What did he do to you?" Dean asked loudly.

"Dean." Sam said quietly, trying to calm him down.

"I… He injected.." I struggled to say the words. Dean put his thumb under my eyes and kept them open.

"He injected what?" Dean asked, prompting me to continue. I struggled to think. "ALEXIS, what was it?" he asked again. I didn't like him yelling at me.

"Something black." I answered weakly, on the verge of crying. My head slumped a little as I lost energy but Dean kept me focused.

"Something black?" he asked me. I nodded, my breathing still heavy. "Did he give it a name?" he asked quickly.

"No." I breathed.

"Why did he use it on you?" Dean asked not missing a beat, eyebrows pulled together.

"I don't know." I replied helplessly, losing more energy.

"How much did he use Lex?" he asked fiercely.

"I don't know." I whispered. I didn't know what to tell him.

"Damn it!" he yelled, letting go of me and running his hand over his face. Sam kept his arm around me, watching Dean's frustration.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. "I really don't know." Dean grabbed my face, keeping it upright.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked. I thought about his question before answering.

"Just weak." I replied. He nodded and glanced over at Sam before looking back at me.

"Good, weak we can deal with." He stated. I grabbed the front of his shirt with my right hand and Sam's shirt with my left. My head turned between the two of them.

"Did… did he hurt you guys?" I asked the both of them. I hadn't even asked about their time as ghosts. Were they okay?

Dean gave me a surprised look and pulled me into a tight hug, his hand holding my head.

"We're fine." He whispered. "It's you we gotta worry about now." He told me before he kissed the side of my head.

"Dean." Sam said quietly from behind me. I felt him pull up my jacket a little while I looped my arms around Dean, relying on him to hold me up.

"What?" Dean asked; his face worried. I turned to see what Dean was looking at and noticed it was Sam's expression of confusion. He was looking at my lower back. Shit, what was wrong with me now?

"Your bruises…" Sam said before looking up at me. "They're gone."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was so fun to write Alastair and Castiel, I hoped you guys love it too. Because of my love for those two characters, the chapter did extend to a whopping 14, 519 words... o_O but hopefully you don't mind.

Also, this was the first time I did a Sam POV, nothing to serious yet, but it'll get more intense. Also, how did you guys feel about this particular episode and me switching between the three of them? I won't be doing that every chapter, just the ones where it's necessary for them to split up.

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**Sara.B - **Thank-you so much for your review, I can always count on you to make my day with your sweet comments :)

**Guest **- Thanks for your review. Also, I updated last week silly :D but now you've got the next chapter so rejoice! Also, Alexis' personality is slowly being uncovered chapter by chapter, everything will be revealed in due time, so just keep tuned in :P

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Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	17. Chapter 17 - On The Head Of A Pin

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! Sorry for the delay. I was having one hell of a week with Uni and all. I'll still be keeping updates within two weeks unless I say otherwise but I doubt I could leave a chapter for more than two weeks. Writing this story is like therapy for me.

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; sammygrrl00, lisab2012, snn7b, Liz H, Sara.B, Jasmine, I. Holmes, Anon, JJ, harlembob, Carver Edlund, Guest and Deany-Elle. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, this was a strange chapter to write and your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 17 – On The Head Of A Pin**

Castiel hadn't answered any of my calls. I wasn't sure what to think of it. He could have been busy, he could have been avoiding me – not very likely – or he was under the orders of not communicating with us. I say us, because I wasn't the only one calling.

Dean relied on Castiel. He trusted him enough to allow him near Sam and myself. That was a rarity in itself but what was more unique was, Dean was willing to accept help from Cas. Today was no exception.

It began with Dean asking for Cas to pay us a visit, to Dean complaining for Cas to bring his 'feathery ass' down to us and finally to Dean almost popping a nerve in demanding Cas make an appearance.

We should have been glad that the god-forsaken bruises or bruise-like mutations had disappeared but it had only agitated my brothers. They needed to know why and I didn't blame them. The matter was too serious to just disregard.

However, since it seemed Cas wasn't going to drop by anytime soon we moved on to the more pressing matters at hand… like Pamela.

* * *

Dean seemed distant after her funeral. He must have been feeling even guiltier than I was over her death. Pamela had straight out told us that she didn't want to be involved in all this apocalypse business but we had forced her to help out, well mostly Dean had.

He was riding shotgun and I was sitting behind Sam looking out at the starry night. The sparkling stars, millions of light years away, helped me forget about the fact we were about to meet up with the one thing on the planet that I hated with a passion… Ruby.

Sam's reasoning was that if the angels weren't helping us out then maybe Ruby could shed some light on what Alastair was up to. Of course I didn't agree but somehow we were still on our way to meet her. Dean shifted uncomfortably in the front seat with tired eyes. He hadn't slept much and once we got to the motel, I was going to force him to get some rest.

"Ruby will meet us outside Cheyenne." Sam said to the both of us. I leaned forward and rested my arms on the front seat, between Sam and Dean. "She's been tracking some leads. I know she's not exactly on your Christmas list, but if she can help us get to Lilith-"

"Hey, man, work with Ruby, don't. I don't really give a rat's ass." Dean said in exhaustion. I shoved his shoulder and scrunched my face at him. What did he mean? This was Ruby we were talking about and it WAS a problem if we were working with her.

"What's your problem?" Sam asked, glancing over.

"Yeah, how do you not care?" I asked, resting my head on my arms.

"Pamela didn't want anything to do with this and we dragged her back into it, Sam." Dean replied sternly. It was clear he didn't blame me for her death; it was probably because I was against their plan to wonder the nether realm as much as she was.

"She knew what was at stake." Sam defended.

"Oh yeah. Saving the world. And we're doing such a damn good job of it." He said in anger. I placed a supportive hand on his shoulder but he shrugged me off.

"Dean-" Sam started.

"I'm tired of burying friends." Dean interrupted, looking away.

"Look, we catch a fresh trail-"

"And we follow it, I know. Like I said, I'm just—I'm just getting tired." Dean mumbled. He was leaning on the car door, facing away from us. I guess he really needed his space.

"Well, get angry." Sam stated with force.

I was angry and the worst part of it was, it wasn't over Pamela's death… it was because we had to work with Ruby. Somewhere along the road, my morals had rearranged themselves without my knowledge and I was left with a cruel personality that treated death like an everyday affair.

I should have been worried… but I wasn't.

* * *

Sam parked in front of our motel room and I sluggishly crawled out of the back seat. The cold air was refreshing and I spent a good time stretching before Sam threw my duffel at me.

"Did I inteupt your yoga?" he teased.

"Quit being a bitch." I retorted as I followed him to the door. As soon as he unlocked it, I walked into the dark room, aiming for where I presumed the bed to be.

"Ah, home crappy home." Dean said as he put his bag down. Sam shut the door and turned on the lights in time for me to see Uriel's face a dangerous two inches from mine.

I scrambled back in shock and felt Sam hold me up before I fell on my ass. Only then did I notice Castiel standing a few feet behind Uriel, not facing us. Was he here to answer our questions?

"Winchester, Winchester and Little Winchester." Uriel remarked aiming a smug smile at me.

"Oh come on." Dean complained from beside me.

"Cas, we've been calling-" Sam started.

"You are needed." Uriel interrupted. Castiel didn't even spare us a glance and Sam grew frustrated behind me. Seriously, these angels were going to work us into the ground.

"Needed? We just got back from needed." Dean replied in anger.

"Now, you mind your tone with me." Uriel raised his eyebrows and my hate for him grew.

"No, you mind your damn tone with us." Dean stated in irritation as he stepped forward. Sam stepped ahead too, trying to diffuse the hostility between Uriel and Dean.

"We just got back from Pamela's funeral." Sam explained. I leaned a little forward seeing as I couldn't see Uriel past Sam or Dean, standing in front of me.

"Pamela. You know, psychic Pamela?" Dean said sarcastically. "You remember her. Cas, you remember her. You burned her eyes out. Remember that?" Cas offered a side on glance at Dean. "Good times. Yeah, then she died saving one of your precious seals." Uriel didn't look fazed one little bit. "So maybe you can stop pushing us around like chess pieces for five freaking minutes!" Dean yelled.

"We raised you out of hell for our purposes." Uriel reminded Dean. I hated that they held that over him.

"Yeah, what were those again? What exactly did you want from me?" Dean asked.

"Start with gratitude." Uriel replied. Yeah, Dean should've been real grateful that these ass-hat, control freak, corrupt 'angels' pulled him from hell to drag him around topside to do their psychotic bidding.

"Oh." Was all Dean could get out before Cas interrupted.

"Dean, we know this is difficult to understand." He said looking over at him.

"And we-" Uriel turned to give Cas a look before focusing back on us, "-don't care." Cas looked away and went back to standing silent. What was up with him and since when did Uriel outrank him? Sam and Dean must have been thinking the same thing because there was a silence before Uriel continued. "Now, seven angels have been murdered, all of them from our garrison. The last one was killed tonight." He told us. Angels being murdered? This was new.

"Demons?" Dean asked. Uriel gave a slight nod. "How are they doing it?"

"We don't know." He replied. Well that's just great… then angels didn't know shit.

"I'm sorry, but what do you want us to do about it? I mean, a demon with the juice to ice angels has to be out of our league, right?" Sam asked. I hadn't even thought about whether we'd be able to help or not but Sam was right. We couldn't hurt demons that could hurt angels. Sometimes we didn't even have the power to hurt demons that hurt humans.

"We can handle the demons, thank you very much." Uriel replied. Even though it was Uriel, it made me feel so much better that we had man power on our side for once.

"Once we find whoever it is." Cas pointed out. Did they need our help to find the demons responsible?

"So you need our help hunting a demon?" I asked, aiming a grin at Uriel. If he was coming to us for help, I was going to undermine him about it.

"Not quite. We have Alastair." Cas replied as he moved to stand beside Uriel.

"Great. He should be able to name your trigger man." Dean pointed out. Alastair's name made me feel uneasy.

"But he won't talk. Alastair's will is very strong. We've arrived at an impasse." Castiel informed us. Well, no one was surprised there, but what were we supposed to do about it?

"Yeah, well, he's like a black belt in torture. I mean, you guys are out of your league." Dean told them.

"That's why we've come to his student." Uriel kept his eyes on Dean. My heart sank as I saw Dean's face fall. "You happen to be the most qualified interrogator we've got." Dean looked down and I glared at Uriel. Alastair was someone who had hurt Dean… how could they even suggest this?

"Dean, you are our best hope." Cas added.

"Cas!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe it. It was one thing for Uriel to suggest and support something so horrendous but Castiel?

"No. No way. You can't ask me to do this, Cas. Not this." Dean said. I could hear the pain behind his voice. Uriel began walking towards Dean and so I stepped between them, my rage building.

"You and I are going to need to talk about personal space." I pointed out to Uriel as he stopped ahead of me. Somehow he knew proximity made me immensely uncomfortable and he was intentionally using it against me. I crossed my arms over my chest and gave Uriel a pointed look. "But, before we do that, Dean said 'no', so don't even bother asking again." I informed him. I could feel Dean standing behind me. Uriel looked from me, to Dean and then back to me.

"Who said anything about asking?" he asked.

I felt a sickening push in my stomach and before I knew it, I was no longer in the motel room. Uriel had angel-zapped us somewhere and from the looks of the blood-stained, concrete walls; I was assuming it was somewhere brutal.

* * *

"Cas, take us back, now." I demanded. Alastair was somewhere here and that was too close to Dean for my liking. Dean strode up to Uriel in anger.

"You want me to do this, fine, but why is Lex here?" he asked in anger. I was glad that they had brought me along with Dean so I could back him up but at the same time, why was I needed? Uriel smiled and looked over at me.

"Motivation to complete the task at hand." He replied. What did that mean? Was he going to hold me prisoner until Dean complied?

"Cas, I want both of us back in Cheyenne, right now." Dean turned to Castiel. I guess he didn't like the idea of us being near Alastair any more than I did.

"Dean, he is powerless. Let me show you." Cas reasoned. I looked around for the exit and found Uriel in my path.

"No thanks, Cas." Dean replied, not budging on his decision.

"I insist, Dean." Cas added. Dean contemplated the offer and I sighed when I saw he was giving Cas a chance. He led Dean to the door at the end of the room which had a glass window, allowing you to look inside. I kept my eye on Uriel, still not trusting him. I needed a moment alone with Cas, or at least without Uriel, to straighten out whether I was going insane or not.

"Hell's craziest demon and you're keeping him in a prison cell?" I asked. Both Dean and Cas were looking in on Alastair.

"This devil's trap is old Enochian. He's bound completely." Castiel explained, hoping it would reassure Dean. There was a moment of silence and I feared he was being drawn in.

"Dean?" I asked quietly. My voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Fascinating." He said sarcastically and turned away from the door. "Where's the door?" he asked walking towards me. I was relieved Cas hadn't convinced him to do this.

"Where are you going?" Cas asked. Dean grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door.

"Hitch back to Cheyenne, thank you very much." He replied as I fell in step beside him. Although we passed Uriel, he appeared in out path, blocking us from escape.

"Don't you want to know what Alastair did to your sister?" he asked Dean before smiling down at me. I saw Dean clench his teeth and I panicked. Dean did want to know but this was not how we were going to find out. Dean was not going to torture the answers out of Alastair.

"No." I replied fiercely for Dean. "We don't care. I'm fine, let's leave it that baldy." I shot at him. His attention went back to Dean.

"Angels are dying, boy." He told Dean sternly.

"Everybody's dying these days. And hey, I get it. You're all-powerful. You can make me do whatever you want. But you can't make me do this." He said loudly turning to face Cas. Uriel was beyond reason now.

"This is too much to ask, I know." Cas replied striding towards us. "But we have to ask it." I growled in anger.

"No you don't." I aimed at Cas. I pointed towards the cell where Alastair was. "Stick a rod soaked in holy water up his ass and wait him out. Dean is not needed here." I stated firmly, not breaking eye contact with Cas. Dean was watching Cas before he turned back to Uriel.

"I want to talk to Cas alone." He told him.

"I think I'll go seek revelation." Uriel directed at Cas. "We might have some further orders."

"Well, get some donuts while you're out." Dean said humorlessly. The quicker Uriel was gone, the better. Uriel laughed and glanced back at me.

"I can see where she gets it from." His eyes went back to Dean. "Ah, this one just won't quit, will he? I think I'm starting to like you, boy." He chuckled and then he was gone. Dean and I simultaneously turned to face Castiel.

"You guys don't walk enough, you're gonna get flabby." Dean joked. Castiel didn't react and I kept staring him down, still mad at him for bringing us here. "You know, I'm starting to think 'Chuckles' has a better sense of humor than you do." Dean pointed out to him.

"Uriel's the funniest angel in the garrison. Ask anyone." Cas replied without emotion. I rolled my eyes at his lack of social skills. Dean walked up to Cas and I followed.

"What's going on, Cas? Since when does Uriel put a leash on you?" Dean asked him. I raised a hand to stop Dean.

"Better yet, what happened Cas? Why did this 'Zachariah' douche bag take you away?" I asked the more important question. Dean nodded, agreeing my question was more pressing at the moment.

"My superiors have begun to question my sympathies." He replied looking up at us.

"Your sympathies?" Dean asked what I was thinking.

"I was getting too close to the humans in my charge. Both of you." He glanced between us. "They feel I've begun to express emotions. The doorways to doubt. This can impair my judgment." He explained as he turned away.

"So wait, they took you away to 're-discipline' you because you were getting too, I don't know, attached? And then they put Uriel in charge?" I asked. This was just freaking great. All we needed was Uriel pulling Cas' strings rather than the other way around. Dean walked past Castiel, facing the cell door.

"Well, tell Uriel, or whoever...you do not want me doing this, trust me." Dean told him.

"Want it, no. But I have been told we need it." Cas replied. I stepped in front of Cas with pleading eyes.

"Castiel, he doesn't want to do it. How many more times do you want to hear him say 'no'?" I asked. His face didn't change and so I leaned in a little closer. "I'm begging you to find another way." Cas just stared at me, unsure of what to do.

"You ask me to open that door and walk through it, you will not like what walks back out." Dean said slowly, still facing the cell door.

His words scared me. I knew the kinds of things Dean had done before, especially in the name of family, but I knew Sam and I hadn't seen the side of him that Alastair had molded in the pit. And Dean didn't want us to see that side of him… ever.

"For what it's worth, I would give anything not to have you do this." Cas said slowly. I walked ahead of Dean and turned to face him. His eyes were shut and I knew he didn't know what to do. I understood why he didn't want to do this and there was nothing wrong with objecting to the plan.

That's where I came in.

"Dean, you don't have to do this." I said to him quietly, holding his shirt with my right hand. If Dean wanted out, I would get him out, even if it was the last thing I did. He opened his eyes; glanced down at my hand and noticed the scar the bracelet had left on my wrist. He watched me, his mind working a million miles a second. I saw the resolve in his face and I shook my head in denial.

He was going to do this.

"Why?" I asked pulling him a little closer. He pushed my hand off him.

"I have questions, he has answers." He replied turning to Cas. "Keep her away from that door." He ordered and Cas gave a slight nod. I began to protest but suddenly everything went dark… for the millionth freaking time.

* * *

**Sam**

Angels were pricks.

What I couldn't understand was, if they needed Dean to interrogate Alastair, why did they take Lex? They needed her for something, but I wasn't sure what. I wasn't worried about her though; Lex would be fine. She had a strength within her which neither Dean nor I had…. and it was what kept her going. She could handle herself, I knew that, but Dean on the other hand… he had changed. Ever since hell spit him out, he was weaker and I knew he wouldn't be able to do what the angels needed him to.

I needed to find both of them.

* * *

**Dean**

Alastair had been stupid enough to lay a hand on Lex.

She was about to kick up a fight and try to stop me from entering that cell; I saw the argument forming on her face. I watched Castiel appear behind her and put two fingers to her temple just before she collapsed in his arms. I was going to pay Alastair a visit whether Lex liked it or not, but not before I made a few things clear to Cas.

"Would you prefer me to take her back to the motel?" Cas asked, holding Lex close. I reached out and took Lex from him. I hated doing this to her but she was a Winchester and her will was indestructible.

"No." I replied, lifting her into my arms and walking over to the seats. I placed her down gently before crouching in front of her. Although I didn't want her near Alastair, she was safest when she was beside me and nothing was going to change that.

"I'll get you a name, under a few conditions." I told Cas as I brushed Lex's hair away from her face.

"I'm listening." Cas replied. I stood up and turned to face him.

"Firstly, you do not let Lex anywhere near Alastair. I don't care if she screams, or cries or starts world war three. You keep her away from that door." I pointed to the cell. "I don't want Alastair to know that she's here. I don't want her in his sight. Capisce?" I asked him. There was no way I was going to let Alastair near Lex. He knew that she was the one thing in my life I still considered innocent and he dreamed of the day he could take that away from her. Sam was already tainted and I couldn't undo that but there was no way he was going to get his hands on Lex.

"I understand." Castiel replied looking over at an unconscious Lex, sprawled on the chair.

"Secondly, I have some questions of my own that I'd like to ask Alastair." I stated. If he was bound and gagged before me, I was going to take the opportunity to figure out what he wanted with Alexis.

* * *

**Lex**

I opened my eyes, feeling a little nauseous as usual, and sat up, trying to get my bearings. Castiel came into my view and I stood up quickly, glancing around for Dean. I couldn't find him and Cas' face pretty much told me where he was. I turned to the cell and began moving towards it at a swift pace only to find Castiel in my path.

"Move." I ordered him. He didn't budge. I went to side-step him but he stepped along with me.

"I can't let you inside." He told me, looking conflicted. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Why? Because Dean said so?" I asked him. "Alastair will break him, Cas. You have to let me in." I reasoned.

"Dean is stronger than you think." Castiel defended Dean. I sighed.

"No one has to tell me how strong Dean is… physically, mentally or emotionally but Cas…" I ran my hand through my hair. "…he's been through enough. Don't put him through this, please." I begged.

Castiel didn't move and I restrained myself from punching him in the face. Dean hadn't wanted to do this but he had stepped into that room for a reason. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing, but that didn't mean I was going anywhere.

"Fine, you keep him in there then but I am not leaving." I told him with certainty. He remained focused on the wall behind me rather than my face. "And another thing Cas." I leaned in close enough so I was whispering. "If my brother walks out of that room any less whole than he was when he walked in…" I pointed my finger at Cas. "…consider our friendship over."

I hadn't forgotten everything Castiel had done for me. I remembered he was taken for trying to protect me and he suffered for me but nothing… absolutely nothing… came before Dean.

I leaned back and though Castiel didn't say anything to me, it was evident he understood my message. Dean had told Castiel that I was to be kept away from the cell door but I was very talented in the art of negotiation.

"Can I at least listen in?" I asked exasperated. It took Cas a while to process my request and after a vigorous internal battle, he pivoted back and allowed me to pass. I walked to the left of the door so I was out of Alastair's vision but so I could see Dean. I noticed the familiar army jacket on broad shoulders instantly and when he stepped aside and I noticed the trolley of torture instruments available to Dean, similar to the collection I had seen on Alastair's trolley a few days ago.

I leaned against the wall and kept my eyes on my brother while concentrating on the conversation taking place. Castiel watched me from the seats but I ignored him. I had so many questions to ask him but they could all wait… this was much more important.

* * *

**Dean**

I wheeled the loaded cart, covered with a cloth, into the cell. Alastair was bound on a six pointed star rack, his arms and legs spread wide but that didn't stop him from grinning at me as I walked in.

"Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly speak. I seem to find the happiness I seek, when we're out together dancing cheek to cheek..." he sang as he swayed slightly in the chains, moving to his offbeat and sick melody.

That was all it took. In an instance I was back in the pit, secured against the scalding rack, the smell of burning flesh flooding through my nose. My flesh.

Ignoring Alastair was the only option. I pulled the cloth off the cart, revealing the assortment of torture instruments provided by the angels and Alastair laughed from behind me. He didn't think I could pull it out of him, but he should've known better.

"I'm sorry. This is a very serious, very emotional situation for you." I walked into the Enochian trap, my eyes on Alastair, holding in the rage building up inside of me. I had learnt to contain emotion in the pit, thanks to devil before me. "I shouldn't laugh, it's just that—I mean, are they serious? They sent you to torture me?" he asked, spluttering the words out unevenly.

Yeah, they sent me. They shouldn't have… but they did.

* * *

**Lex**

"You got one chance. One. Tell me who's killing the angels. I want a name." Dean stated. I had heard Dean give many people the same ultimatum before but it unnerved me that Alastair was only a few inches away from him as he spoke. Even when bound to an Enochian rack, I wouldn't come that close to Alastair and somehow Dean had the guts to do so. Where he pulled the courage from, I'd never know but Dean was… Dean. He could do anything.

"You think I'll see all your scary toys and spill my guts?" Alastair asked and my skin crawled at his voice.

"Oh, you'll spill your guts, one way or another. I just didn't wanna ruin my shoes." Dean replied. I didn't even have the heart to laugh.

"Oh, yeah." Alastair murmured and I could see Dean's frustration grow a little at his nonchalance towards the threat.

"Now answer the question." Dean ordered.

"Or what? You'll work me over? But then, maybe you don't want to. Maybe you're, ah, scared to." Alastair teased and I shut my eyes, trying hard not to bust down the door and pull Dean out.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Dean asked, holding his own.

"Not entirely. You left part of yourself back in the Pit. Let's see if we can get the two of you back together again, shall we?" Alastair sneered.

This is what I was scared of; this alternate 'Dean' that Alastair kept talking about. There was a monster down in hell with Dean's face on it but it wasn't my brother. A part of that monster lived within Dean and it tortured him late at night when he thought Sam and I were asleep but it didn't escape our notice.

Although the idea of hurting his younger siblings was non-existent in Dean's mind, it didn't mean I wasn't aware of the damage he was capable of. Sometimes when I let the darkness get the best of me, I scared myself into thinking of a rare situation where Dean might one day hurt me. I didn't want to lose my brother to that monster.

"You're gonna be disappointed." Dean replied as he walked back over to the cart.

"You have not disappointed me so far." Alastair replied as Dean sifted through the plethora of tools at his disposal. "Come on. You gotta want a little payback for everything I did to you. For all the pokes and prods. Hm?" he asked.

I gritted my teeth as I watched Dean's poker face. He never talked about the specifics of hell but by the sounds of Alastair's enjoyment, I felt I wouldn't take it well, if I ever found out. I noticed Cas watching me, ready to whip me away if I made a move towards the door.

"No? Um...how about for all the things I did to your daddy?" Alastair queried.

I saw red. I watched Dean's face mirror mine, the silent anger obvious amongst his features as he looked up from the instruments.

Alastair knew exactly where to poke.

* * *

Dad.

I was his little angel and there wasn't much I could do to make him mad. However that didn't mean we didn't have our fair share of fights. Just like Dean knew his job was to protect Sam and myself, I knew my job was to protect Dean. I had seen him take the burden of our family in his stride, I had seen him hide us from painful truths while he faced them without thought and I hated Dad for letting Dean take the brunt of it.

It was Dad's job to look after Dean too.

I had hated Dad for never showing up when Dean had gotten electrocuted three years ago. His son was dying and he didn't have the decency to pay him a visit or at least pick up the god damn phone? I had hated Dad when I thought he was still chasing after yellow-eyes while Dean was in a coma. I had hated dad for a lot of things.

When my brothers were in trouble, I stopped thinking rationally, never even caring that I mouthed off to my father. Dean was my responsibility and I had a big problem with people who didn't treat with him respect.

None of that meant I didn't love my father.

I wasn't ready to hear what Alastair had done to dad. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from barging into that room and serving Alastair a little justice.

"I had your pop on my rack for close to a century." Alastair said.

"You can't stall forever." Dean replied not looking up from the cart. Alastair continued, Dean's words not having an effect on him.

"John Winchester. Made a good name for himself. A hundred years." He paused. "After each session, I'd make him the same offer I made you. I'd put down my blade if he picked one up." He began narrating. Dean had already told us about Alastair's offers but we had no idea that he had made the same offer to dad.

"Just give me the demon's name, Alastair." Dean looked up at him.

"But he said nein each and every time." Alastair ignored Dean. "Oh, damned if I couldn't break him." Dean took his jacket off. It didn't surprise me that Dad had been able to resist. He and Sam both had a dedication that Dean and I didn't have. It was just part of their personality and maybe the deaths of mom and Jess were the reasons behind it.

"Pulled out all the stops, but John, he was, well, made of something unique. The stuff of heroes. And then came Dean." Alastair continued and Dean looked up in a little frustration. "Dean Winchester. I thought I was up against it again." Dean drank straight from the full bottle of whatever drink he had with him.

"But daddy's little girl, he broke. He broke in thirty." Alastair sneered again. Dean's face twitched and I saw the shame behind it. I was daddy's little girl and clearly Alastair didn't know the damage I was capable of otherwise he would have never opened his mouth. "Oh, just not the man your daddy wanted you to be, huh, Dean?" Dean put the bottle down and I waited to see what he could possibly do to get Alastair to spill.

"Now." Alastair looked as curious as I was. Castiel was stone, still watching me. I'd deal with him later. Dean picked a jigger and placed it on the table. "Now we're getting somewhere." Alastair remarked as Dean began pouring holy water into it from a large bottle. "Holy water? Come on. Grasshopper, you're gonna have to get creative to impress me." Alastair said loudly. Castiel was suddenly beside me, not willing to look in on Dean. Of course. They threw him in there but didn't have the balls to watch Dean in action.

Fucking hypocrites.

"Please don't watch this." Castiel begged. I ignored him and saw Dean look up at Alastair.

"You know something, Alastair? I could still dream. Even in hell. And over and over and over, you know what I dreamt? I dreamt of this moment." Dean said; hidden force behind his words. This was the most I'd ever heard about Dean's time in hell, and it looked like the only way I'd ever know what had happened downstairs. Dean picked up a needle and my mind went reeling at the possibilities. "And believe me, I got a few ideas."

Dean filled the needle from the jigger with holy water and sprayed the needle a little. I felt my throat tighten at what Dean was about to do. I didn't have a problem with putting a bullet between someone's eyes but pro-longing pain… I had never been forced to do it to this extent and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to. I didn't want to be here anymore.

I didn't want to hear Alastair scream… I didn't want to see Dean do this. Castiel was standing beside me, watching me but I had too much pride to leave now. I wanted to get away from this door. Dean disappeared from my view as he walked up to Alastair.

"Let's get started." Dean stated simply. My breathing quickened and I wanted to leave but I had told Cas that I would stay right where I was and support Dean throughout this. I was about to hear Alastair scream, I couldn't escape it and I didn't know what to do.

Just as I began hearing a scream rip from behind the door, I found my face buried against a trench coat. My anger at Cas didn't stop me from clutching his shirt as his arms wrapped around me tightly.

Somehow he knew.

I was glad that he did; it saved me from having to face a Dean I didn't know. If my brothers weren't here, I felt relatively safe with Cas shielding me from a reality I didn't want to face.

The sound of Alastair's pain filled the room and Cas kept me close, with Dean on both of our minds.

* * *

"Let me know if you want some more. There's plenty left." I heard Dean tell Alastair as he groaned.

"Go directly to hell. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars." Alastair sounded like he was in a lot of pain. I pulled away from Cas so I could see his face. He gently let go of me and waited. This was the moment I could prove that I wasn't going crazy. I could finally tell Sam and Dean with certainty that the psycho month I'd imagined, had actually happened. The answers were with Castiel.

"Cas, before you were taken by this Zachariah…" I said slowly for emphasis. "… what was the last thing you remember?" I asked him trying to ignore the sound of Dean stabbing Alastair in the next room. He narrowed his eyes at me and thought about my question.

"We were meeting Bobby… the three of you had agreed to me searching your bodies for a demonic mark." He replied slowly.

No… not him too. Please no.

"Cas." I said softly. "Do you remember having a conversation with me? Our little visit to the library in the middle of nowhere?" I asked desperately. He didn't watch me like I was losing my mind… instead he tried to focus. After a few moments he looked back at me.

"If we spoke after arriving at the house of Bobby Singer, I don't recall it." He replied.

I felt weak. Again.

How many more of these situations could I deal with before I actually lost my mind? I glanced up at the window to the cell and saw Dean hold up Ruby's knife. Alastair laughed while Dean examined it.

"There's that little pig-poker. I wondered where it went." He spoke but his words were drawn out, like he was still hurting. Dean dipped a ladle into a bowl of what I presumed to be holy water and he poured the liquid over the blade.

"Do you really think this is gonna fix you? Give you closure?" Alastair asked mockingly. "That is sad. That's really sad. Sad, sad." Dean walked forward and out of my view. There was silence before Alastair's voice became more strained. "I carved you into a new animal, Dean. There is no going back." He sputtered prompting me to think that Dean had already used the knife on him.

"Maybe you're right. But now it's my turn to carve." Dean replied and Alastair screamed again.

I felt sick.

"Why do you ask?" Cas turned me back towards him so I wouldn't watch Dean. Why do I ask? Jesus, where do I begin with this? I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the seats.

"You're going to want to sit down for this." I told him, remembering his reaction last time. It was a little like déjà vu seeing Cas' face go through the same expressions they had last time. I told him everything, beginning with Ruby's dilemma, then her solution, the bracelet, Cas finding out about the plan, our fight at the library, Cas being taken, Uriel's alternative plan, me running away, Uriel at the cottage, Ruby and Uriel's betrayal, Lilith's appearance, Cas and Anna saving my ass, my time with Anna, Micah and Nathaniel, the attack, my journey back home, Dean and Sam not believing me and finally the bruises.

Telling the story again just made it feel more real to me and I became more confused.

"Anna said that you had told her the angels were out for me. They wanted me dead for some reason but we never figured out why." I told Cas who was still trying to take in the new information. "Maybe they took you away and erased your memory?" I asked him. He broke out of his thoughts.

"Show me these bruises." He demanded standing up as Alastair screamed again. My attention moved to the cell but Cas blocked my view. "Alexis, the bruises." He said again.

"No." I replied. Cas seemed confused by my refusal. He still needed help with his 'people skills'. Sam and Dean were my brothers, I didn't have a problem with them seeing me since I'd known them my whole life and they'd pretty much patched me up every time I fell. I was extremely comfortable around them… but Cas was different.

"If I see them, I can help you." He explained, not understanding my reasoning. Now I was a little confused.

"They're gone Cas. You healed me." I reminded him. At least that was the theory I was going with until just now. He shook his head slightly.

"No," he replied. "I calmed you from your shock after Alastair took you. I never knew you had bruises." I just stared at him feeling pretty sure he was going to start laughing and tell me he was joking. After a few seconds, my face fell.

"No, no, no." I stood up and walked up to him. "Those bruises disappeared after you healed me. Dean saw you heal me and five minutes later I was clean." I explained. "It had to be you Cas."

"Alexis," he said softly as Alastair's scream ripped through the room and I flinched. "Did Alastair do anything to you before the bruises disappeared?" He asked. I looked down at where he had injected me with that black crap and then back at Cas. He read my expression and took my arm, pulling my jacket sleeve back.

Sam had bandaged the entry point after cleaning it but apart from that, there wasn't a mark. Cas ran his fingers over the area, looking for something.

"What did he do?" he asked me as my eyes travelled back to window, wanting to see Dean.

"He..uh… he injected me with some sort of black liquid." I replied. "He told me it was to liven my senses, kind of a starting point for any further torture. It made me feel sensitive and agitated… like the smallest thing would set me off." I explained. Cas looked away, deep in thought.

"Black liquid." He murmured to himself. I groaned. If Cas didn't get rid of my bruises and Alastair did, it begged the question 'why'? What did Alastair want with me?

The lights began flickering. Cas and I looked up in time to see the bulb explode and out of nowhere a particular red-head appeared standing a few feet behind Cas.

Anna.

A smile plastered itself onto my face as I saw her eyes fall on me. She returned the gesture before looking over at Cas who still had his back to her.

"Anna." He said simply.

"Hello, Castiel." She replied. "Alexis." She looked over at me and nodded slightly.

"A nod? Really?" I asked her as I walked forward and past Cas. "I don't think so red." I smiled as I pulled her into a hug. She was alive. This was brilliant! Finally I was catching a break. After all the shit that had been thrown our way, Anna was alive. She returned the hug happily, still very affectionate of me.

"Your human body-" Cas began. Anna walked past me and towards Castiel.

"It was destroyed, I know. But I guess I'm sentimental. Called in some old favors and..." she replied as Alastair screamed again. We both looked over at the cell and Anna's eyes softened when she saw Dean.

"You shouldn't be here. We still have orders to kill you." Castiel told her and I almost did a double take. Cas did not just threaten her.

"Somehow I don't think you'll try." She responded before walking ahead of him so she could see Dean properly. "Where's Uriel?" she asked.

"He went to receive revelation." Cas replied. Uriel… this was my chance to talk to Anna. She was my last hope in this mess. She had been there, she had seen it all.

"Right." She almost scoffed at the idea of Uriel ever obeying the word of God. "Why are you letting Dean do this?" she asked him and I walked forward, waiting to hear his answer. Alastair gasped from inside and Castiel turned away from Anna. He was uncertain about this if he couldn't even look her in the eye.

"He's doing God's work." He replied walking towards me.

"Torturing? That's God's work? Stop him, Cas, please. Before you ruin the one real weapon you have." She begged. I couldn't tell if her judgment was being clouded because of her love for Dean, but either way, I wasn't complaining that she was on my side.

"Who are we to question the will of God?" Castiel asked a little louder.

"Well I'm not sure about you guys but I'm Dean's sister, and I know what you are asking him to do is wrong. That's why I'm questioning 'God's' will and your orders." I told Cas, my previous anger returning. I hadn't forgotten the ultimatum I had given him and I planned to stick by it.

"Unless this isn't his will." Anna said slowly.

"Then where do the orders come from?" Cas replied on the verge of rolling his eyes at her supposed stupidity. She had a valid point. If Cas' memory could be erased by other angels, who was to say higher ranked angels weren't taking Alastair for a joy ride?

"I don't know. One of our superiors, maybe, but not him." She said with certainty. Alastair gurgled and gasped from the cell. How much longer was Dean going to stay in there? I walked closer to the cell while the two angels argued it out.

"The father you love. You think he wants this? You think he'd ask this of you? You think this is righteous?" Anna asked. There was silence as I watched Dean pour out more holy water. "What you're feeling? It's called doubt." She told Cas. "These orders are wrong and you know it. But you can do the right thing. You're afraid, Cas. I was too. But together, we can still-"

"Together?" Cas asked. I pried my eyes away from Dean and turned around in time to see Cas yank his hand away from Anna's. "I am nothing like you. You fell." He said angrily at her as he walked away. "Go." He ordered.

What was wrong with him?

"Cas." She tried to reason with him.

"For good reason Cas." I said coming to Anna's defense. "She rebelled for the people… for us." I walked up to him. "She helped you come to my aid and then she protected me. She was protecting Dean too. You may not remember all this but take my word for it Cas. Falling from heaven… it's not as bad as you make it out to be." I explained. "Being human has the greatest perk of all… free will. We get to make our own decisions, decide our own fate and question what we don't believe. We have something you don't and it's called freedom." I emphasized.

Castiel listened but I wasn't sure how much got through. Instead I turned to Anna. Now was the time, the final time, to see whether the worst month of my life had actually occurred. I had been chasing it like a mad dream for a month now and I needed it to be over tonight. Now or never. If Anna didn't remember anything, I would openly admit to losing my mind but if she agreed with me… it meant I was sane.

I needed that more than anything… to be sane.

"Micah and Nathaniel?" I asked her hoping our comrades were alive, if they existed. She glanced over at Cas who was still processing my words and then back at me.

"Micah has been working with me ever since Castiel escaped but Nathaniel…" she trailed off and I thought back to the gut wrenching scream I heard just before it exploded. "We haven't seen Nathaniel since he helped you."

Time froze.

It had happened.

It had actually happened.

Anna just admitted to Micah and Nathaniel existing.

Everything I had imagined was real. All the events had played out. I wasn't losing my mind… I remembered EVERTHING.

"Are you saying that Micah and Nathaniel exist?" I asked her slowly. She grew confused at my question and looked over at Castiel.

"Of course they exist." She replied. "They stayed with us for over thirty days Alexis… they protected you." She reminded me as if I had forgotten. I looked wide-eyed over at Castiel not believing what was happening.

"Who attacked me right before you and Cas came to save me?" I asked her not wanting to get ahead of myself. She stepped a little closer to me and Cas stood a little straighter as if Anna might reach out and take me away.

"Lilith and Ruby." She replied. "Although I only saw Lilith. You told me Ruby was there also but she must have disappeared before we arrived." I felt high. This was unbelievable. After Sam and Dean tip-toeing around my supposed 'mental situation' for a month, the relief I felt knowing what had actually happened was overwhelming.

"And who was working with Ruby and Lilith?" I asked her. This was the last piece. If she could incriminate Uriel then I had everything I needed.

"You claimed it to be Uriel." She replied, still not understanding why I was asking these questions. She was correct. She had never seen Uriel act out against me but I had told her I suspected Uriel.

"And no sign of Nathaniel at all?" I asked her. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

"No. We're worried and Micah is actively out looking for him but we're not sure." She replied. Nathaniel was a friend. He was a good friend who just like Micah had grown very protective and fond of me. At first they were watching me under Anna's orders but after a few days of suffering through my personality, they grew attached. They were the closest make-do Sam and Dean I'd had during that time and they had fulfilled their roles as protectors…as guardian angels.

It hurt me to think he died saving me and I prayed he was still alive. Both he and Micah deserved recognition for what they had done for me. I for one knew that Sam and Dean would welcome them into our lives with open arms if they knew my safety had been their priority.

I smiled thinking about Sam and Dean. I had solid proof now, all thanks to Anna. I sighed in relief and strode towards her, ready to envelope her in a hug.

"Thank-you Anna." I stated in exhaustion just before Castiel stopped me in my path.

"No." he told me before turning to Anna. "Go." He ordered her again. I was confused… Anna was a good angel. She had helped me so why couldn't I interact with her? She offered me a sympathetic look before glancing one last time at Dean.

Then she was gone.

I looked up at Castiel with a bit of frustration and questioning in my eyes. He glanced away uneasily before explaining himself.

"If Anna has rebelled, I cannot trust her around you. If she were to take you, I wouldn't know what to do." He explained. Alastair's scream brought us out of our conversation and I moved closer to the cell so I could go back to having Dean's back.

My small victory with Anna didn't surpass the fact that Dean was being forced to live through something traumatic at the moment. If Alastair hadn't given Dean an answer in the next ten minutes, I was pulling Dean out.

Enough was enough.

* * *

**Dean **

There were a lot of questions I had for Alastair but only a few stuck out as being important at the current time. The first was about which demon was killing the angels; more beneficial to heaven than to me. The more important one… what the hell did Alastair want with Lex? I started with the first and worked my way up.

I pulled the salt covered demon knife out of Alastair's gut and he choked on his own blood. His head fell forward near my shoulder and I looked down at him.

Lex hung her head the same way when she came to me upset. All she'd do was lean her forehead against my shoulder and take a deep breath… waiting for me to fix whatever it was that was troubling her. It was basic instinct to me… just to wrap her in my arms and fight away her problems.

But that was my baby sister and this was the monster who wanted to hurt her. His treatment would be different to hers.

I placed my hand against the star rack and titled Alastair's head back. His blood covered face irritated me. No amount of torture on my part would ever let me forget my time in hell… the images were burned into my mind.

Alastair laughed, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Now it's your professionalism that I respect." He said slowly. I looked at him in disgust and turned away as he spat out more blood.

"Still no name?" I asked him walking back to the holy water, my back turned to him. There was silence and then he began laughing.

"I can smell her pretty untainted flesh through the door, Dean." He sputtered.

I froze.

No.

No, no, no, no, NO.

Fear flooded me in an instance and I refused to turn around and confirm Alastair's claim.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice Baby Winchester's presence?" he asked innocently. "She was the first thing I looked for when I watched you walk in." he chuckled.

No.

I stopped myself from walking to the door and ordering Cas to get Lex out of here, right now. I didn't want her near Alastair… ever. I knew what he was capable of and he knew that putting Lex on the rack would kill me. He wanted to see me suffer and the best way to do that was put Sam or Lex in danger. For some reason he was more fixed on Lex, probably because she looked like the poster girl of innocence.

I took the cup of holy water and flung it on his face, watching in satisfaction as he gargled from beneath the sizzling.

"Who's murdering the angels?" I asked, ignoring his previous comment about Lex. He continued to choke.

"Well, look at how quickly you went spiraling down that alley." He choked on his words but kept going. "I thought I taught you in the pit Dean, not to get attached." He grinned at me and I didn't give him the satisfaction of watching me break. "She's never seen real evil has she? Not like you have, at least. I'm dying to show her the ropes." He laughed and I threw another cup of water in his face. He screamed as the blood trickled down his face.

"Dean, Dean, Dean!" he shook his head like a wet dog. "You know what the best part is?" he asked. I turned around and went to fill the needle again. He laughed again, knowing that his words were piercing me. "The best part is… if I tell sweet Alexis that her big brother Dean can live a happy, white picket fence life, free of any danger but under one condition… she would fulfill that condition at any cost." He drew out his words and my heart clenched. "Even if it meant her walking up to my rack and binding herself down for eternity." He finished slowly.

The truth in that scared me beyond belief. Alexis was willing to do unimaginable things for myself and Sam… we both knew that but in everyday life we remained nonchalant about it and tried to avoid such situations. Alistair knew what Lex was capable of and he would exploit her until he had exactly what he wanted.

I took the needle, turned around and jabbed it into his temple, right behind his right eye. I had to speed this up and get Lex out of here. I grabbed his face in my hand and made him look at me.

"I'd never let you get that close to her." I told him as he shook beneath me.

"Oh, she'll come to me and when she does…" he spat out some blood and looked up at me. "…I'll rip her pretty little self to shreds." He smiled up at me and I slammed his head against the metal, my hand around his neck. I put the funnel in his mouth and let the salt pour. After he gave me a name… I was going to kill him. I didn't know how yet, but if he had threatened Alexis, he had to go.

He managed to stopped choking and spat out a mixture of blood and holy water.

"You're just not getting deep enough. Well, you lack the resources." I walked away from him. "Reality is just, I don't know, too concrete up here. Honestly, Dean..." he said. I pulled out another container and filled it with salt. "You have no idea how bad it really was, and what you really did for us." I didn't want to hear more bullshit pour out his mouth.

"Shut up." I whispered, trying to ignore him.

"The whole bloody thing, Dean. The reason Lilith wanted you there in the first place." He kept going and I took the container from the table.

"Well, then I'll just make you shut up." I said as I grabbed his chin.

"Lilith really-" he started but I cut him off by pouring the salt into his mouth. He tried to scream but I didn't let him. He was going to use anything and everything to break me. I had to ignore him and remind myself he was bound in front of me. He was nowhere near Sam or Lex; those two were safe.

He spat out more blood and struggled to breathe. I hoped Lex couldn't hear what was going on… that somehow Cas was protecting her from this.

"Something caught in my throat. I think it's my throat." He mocked.

"Well, strap in, 'cause I'm just starting to have fun." I shot back, content I was finally getting somewhat of a reaction from him now. I walked back to the cart.

"You know, it was supposed to be your father." He said as I poured out more holy water. "He was supposed to bring it on. But, in the end, it was you."

"Bring what on?" I asked, not taking him seriously.

"Oh, every night, the same offer, remember? Same as your father." He told me. I shook the salt on the blade of the demon knife, remembering so clearly the offer he was referring to. "And finally you said, 'Sign me up.' Oh, the first time you picked up my razor, the first time you sliced into that weeping bitch..." I turned around to face him, remembering the young girl and not believing he was bringing it up while I had a weapon in my hand. "That was the first seal."

No.

* * *

**Lex**

No.

Dean did not break the first seal… Alastair must have been lying. Cas was standing a few feet away but my attention was completely on Dean.

"You're lying." He accused Alastair, a smile in his voice.

"And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell. As he breaks, so shall it break." Alastair replied and the helplessness I felt made me dizzy. There was silence for a moment before Dean turned away and I saw his face. He knew it was true… and he was slowly shattering. "We had to break the first seal before any others. Only way to get the dominoes to fall, right? Topple the one at the front of the line." Alastair continued happily.

The shock on Dean's face was blatantly obvious. How could they expect a righteous man not to break when he went through that kind of torture? How could they blame this on Dean?

"When we win, when we bring on the apocalypse and burn this earth down, we'll owe it all to you, Dean Winchester." I could tell Alastair was smiling just from his voice and it made me want to pull his tongue out. Dean closed his eyes in defeat and pain, desperately trying not to react.

That was it. This was enough. So the angels didn't have a name…they could kiss my ass. I began walking towards the door and Castiel stopped me in my path.

"It's over Cas. I'm getting him out, do not get in my way." I told him plainly. He didn't move.

"Believe me, son, I wouldn't lie about this." Alastair told Dean. "It's kind of a religious sort of thing with me."

"I promised Dean you would not enter that room." He told me with stern eyes.

"No. I don't think you are lying. But even if the demons do win..." Dean said slowly. "You won't be there to see it."

I glared at Cas, not sure how to proceed but certain I was getting into that room

"You should talk to your plumber about the pipes." Alastair said and confused, I looked through the window in time to see Alastair standing in front of Dean.

Out of the chains, out of the Enochian trap and within striking distance of my brother.

Holy shit.

Alastair punched Dean square in the face, sending him to the floor and I kicked into action immediately. I pushed past Castiel and ran through the door to see a grinning Alastair standing over Dean. He looked up at my entrance and tilted his head in amusement.

"Sweet child." He said, looking at me.

* * *

I ran towards him, ready to attempt to kick his ass and went flying back into the wall. Alastair had his hand stuck out, keeping me away, telekinetically, as he lifted Dean by his collar and punched him the face. It was hard enough for Dean not to be able to fight back. And then came more punches, rendering Dean's face bruised and bloodied. I fell to the floor and didn't waste time lying there, Dean needed my help. I scrambled to my feet and ran at Alastair, kicking him in the gut and forcing him to let go of a bloody Dean.

I hooked him in the face twice before going to kick him again but crazily enough, he was faster than me. He grabbed my leg and pulled me towards him, delivering a solid punch to the side of my head. It was harder than I'd ever been punched before and my vision went out of whack immediately.

I felt Alastair's hand go around my throat and he pressed hard, stopping the air flow and effectively choking me. He lifted me off my feet and after blinking a few times I saw he was doing the same thing to Dean with his right hand. He moved the both of us to the rack and pushed Dean up against it, pulling him off the floor and into the air. I could barely see and my head was aching like no bitch before.

I was going to pass out.

To make matters worse, Alastair pulled me towards him, pressed me against his chest and used his forearm to continue choking me. I pried at his arm with my fingers struggling to break free of his hold, but he was extremely strong and my efforts were doing jack-shit.

I kept my blurry vision on Dean and saw he was barely there. I couldn't die like this.

Dean couldn't die like this.

Alastair ran his nose against my cheek, taking in my scent before looking back at Dean.

"She came to me Dean… for you." He said squeezing harder. I could see the rage grow in Dean's eyes. "You got a lot to learn, boy. So I'll see you back in class bright and early Monday morning." He said to Dean but my hearing was going. "Right alongside my newest student." He pulled me closer. Even in his injured state, I heard Dean growl.

Suddenly Alastair dropped the both of us and I heard him yell as he spun around. Castiel had finally decided to make an appearance. I crawled towards Dean, grabbed his shirt with both hands and hauled him away from the ensuing fight.

"No." I heard myself whisper as I watched his eyes flutter. "Dean." I shook him but received no response.

"Well, almost. Looks like God is on my side today." I heard Alistair say. My watery eyes were making it hard for me to work out where Dean's injuries were the worst and hence how to help him. There was a fight going on behind me but I couldn't care less at the moment.

"Dean." I said louder with my croaky voice, the pain of Alastair's hand around my throat still shockingly evident. I tried to focus on Dean's face but then no matter how many times I blinked, my vision remained blurry. I shut my eyes and my head fell forward on Dean's chest, my right had gripping his shirt.

Dean was lying unconscious on the floor, Cas was getting his ass handed to him and I was barely functioning.

The last thing I heard before everything went dark was Alastair's scream.

* * *

My eyes were shut but I could hear beeping nearby. There was an eerie silence and the sheets I was lying on were cold. Where was I? A hospital? I had a mild pain in my head and a more serious burn in my throat. It hurt to breathe and swallow, individually or together.

Very slowly, I opened my eyes allowing myself time to adjust to the white lights around me. The room came to focus and my suspicions were confirmed… I was lying in a hospital bed.

I hated hospitals. Mostly because they had psychiatric wards somewhere within them.

I didn't panic, knowing that no one, including me, had time for that bullshit. What I didn't expect was to see Castiel standing by my bed, watching me like the grade A creep that he was.

"I'm glad to see you're awake." He said softly with innocent but pained eyes. I hadn't forgotten what I had told him. He hadn't protected Dean… therefore our friendship no longer existed.

Dean.

The thought kicked me into action as I struggled to sit up, feeling for the IV. One of the nurses had changed me from the hospital gown into the standard hospital gear, similar to nurse scrubs. I pulled the drip out of my arm and hand, ready to find Dean who was no doubt in a hospital bed too. Castiel moved to block me from the door and I couldn't hold in my anger any longer.

There he was, again, standing between me and my brother. I didn't care that it wouldn't do anything and probably break my hand in the process but I went right ahead and threw a right hook without thinking.

My fist connected with his face and bones broke.

My bones.

"Mother of FUCK!" I spat holding my clenched fist to my chest. It was worth it. "Where's Dean?" I asked him trying to hold in my language.

"A few rooms down the hall." He replied. He reached out touched my forehead and I reeled backwards but not before my wrist healed itself. I glared at him. He didn't even give me the satisfaction of keeping my injury against him. "I understand that you're angry-" he started but I cut him off.

"You have no idea what I'm feeling." I told him in anger but desperately wanting to see Dean or at least meet Sam. He had to be here too. "I watched my brother take a beating from a psychotic demon that we knew was dangerous. I predicted it; Dean predicted it, even the late night psychic on channel 401 could have predicted it, but not you assholes." Cas looked away from me, knowing there was truth in my words. "You couldn't get the answer out of Alastair so you forced Dean to do your dirty work." I shoved Cas. "My brother!" I reminded him the severity of his mistake. "You had one job. Keep Dean safe and somehow you angels managed to fuck that up too!"

Cas wanted to say something but I didn't let him.

"There are two things in this world that are important to me… Sam and Dean." I clarified. "The second you disregard their safety is when we no longer have a common interest. Shoving Dean into that room with Alastair… I hate you for it." I glared into his eyes. "You can rot in hell for all I care. Every god-damn angel can rot in hell. Screw heaven, screw the apocalypse and screw you." I said to him before pushing past and walking out the door. I turned to my right, took a deep breath and made my way down the hall, my leg slightly injured after Alastair grabbed it with his freakish strength.

I needed to make sure Dean was okay.

I glanced through the door of the room next to mine and kept walking when I didn't see Dean. I went to walk past the next room when I looked in and noticed Sam seated in a chair next to the bed. I paused at the entrance of the room and saw Dean, lying motionless and with a tube stuck in his mouth, on the bed.

His face was bruised and his eyes were shut. Sam sat helplessly beside him, his back slightly turned towards where I was standing. I could tell from his demeanor and the way he kept watching Dean's vitals on the screen, that he was upset.

There was so much I had to tell the both of them… all the new information I had gotten from Anna would ease their minds. Especially Dean's seeing as he took responsibility for every freaking thing that went wrong in the world.

Ever since he had come back from hell, Dean had been broken. He was damaged and the impending apocalypse wasn't helping him heal. These past two months I had put him through new hell, first with my disappearance and then my psychosis. I just wanted to give him some good news… anything to make him whole again.

Anything to have my brother back.

I hated seeing him like this, in a form where he was vulnerable and exposed. I wasn't ready to take lead in stopping the apocalypse. Although Sam and I were our own people … Dean spoke for our family and I refused to take his place. I couldn't hold everything together like he could.

I needed him to have my back so when I did stupid things like throw myself into battle without thought, I'd have Dean standing a few feet away, ready to drag me out and knock me down a few pegs for not thinking. I needed him to tell me I was being a brat and that I was taking too damn long in the shower. I needed him to argue with me about pointless movie plots and to ruffle my hair when I got too serious. I needed his support and at that moment, I didn't know where to turn.

"Lex?"

I looked from Dean over to Sam who stood up immediately and found his way to me in two strides. He saw it in my face… the look that told him I was about to break down after a very long and pressing day. He pulled me towards him and wrapped his arms around me in relief. Tucked against his chest like I used to be when I was little, I didn't know any better than to just hold onto him.

Luckily, Dean wasn't the only older brother I had.

Sam could read me just as well as Dean could and it took him a grand total of two seconds to figure out I was lost.

"Sam-" I breathed, not sure what else to say.

"It's okay." He reassured me, before kissing the top of my head. After being trapped in a room with Castiel all day, Sam's arms had never felt more like home. He let go of me just as Cas appeared at the doorway. I ignored him and walked over to the chair Sam had previously been sitting in, lowering myself down carefully.

I watched a furious Sam follow Cas into the hallway.

"Sam-" Cas started.

"Get in there and heal him. Miracle. Now." Sam ordered. I reached out and placed my hand on Dean's as I curled my legs up on the chair.

"I can't." Cas replied.

"You and Uriel put him in there-" Sam accused.

"No." Castiel was in denial.

"—because you can't keep a simple devil's trap together." Sam finished, the venom evident in each word.

"I don't know what happened. That trap..." Cas' voice had grown louder. "…it shouldn't have broken. I am sorry." he responded softly. It was a weak excuse for had happened to Dean and Cas should have known better.

"This whole thing was pointless. You understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers." Sam told him, well aware I could hear him. How did they get an answer out of Alastair anyway and how did they know he was telling the truth?

"Perhaps Alastair was lying." Cas asked what I had been thinking.

"No, he wasn't." Sam said with confidence. There was a silence before I saw Sam enter the room and walk towards me. He pulled the other chair from against the wall, placed it beside me and took a seat.

"He'll be fine Lex." Sam said with certainty, more like he was trying to reassure himself than me. I looked up at him.

"How did Alastair get out?" I asked him. "Did the angels really screw up the devil's trap?" Sam sighed, anger returning to his face when he thought about it.

"Apparently." He replied. What the hell were angels good for?

"And how do you know the demons aren't killing angels?" I asked, squeezing Dean's hand a little. There was a small silence.

"Castiel managed to get it out of Alastair." He replied stoically. So Castiel and Uriel threw Dean in that cell when they had the power to get the answers out of Alastair themselves? I shut my eyes in frustration, wanting to punch Cas all over again. Dean hadn't moved since I'd sat beside him. The breathing tube was what was keeping him alive at the moment.

I wasn't going to tell Sam that Dean broke the first seal… not yet anyway. I'd wait for Dean to wake up, and when he did, I'd tell them both about Anna and we'd get through this whole apocalypse business just like we always had.

Stumbling and falling.

* * *

Dean was getting better.

It had been a day and the nurses had come in an hour ago to remove the breathing tube allowing Dean to breathe for himself. The severity of his bruising had significantly decreased prompting me to think Cas had paid him visit and had used whatever mojo he had left on Dean.

Sam had gone to get us some food seeing as I was still admitted and wasn't allowed to leave yet. I sat quietly on the chair beside Dean's bed fighting sleep and instead watched him sleep. I hadn't slept since I last woke up and I wasn't sure why. Sam had been in an out of the hospital and it made me uneasy when he left us here alone.

Dean should have been waking up soon and I wanted to be there when he did. He needed to know that Alastair was dead, as Sam had told me, and that Sam and I were fine.

"You're such an idiot for walking into that room." I said to him while he slept, just wanting to get my frustrations out. He didn't respond and I sighed, curling my legs up, shutting my eyes and resting my head against the back of the chair.

Sleep came much easier with Dean in the same room.

* * *

I was sleeping in the chair but on the verge of waking up. I refused to open my eyes since Castiel had walked in earlier and was sitting beside me, watching Dean. I didn't want to speak to him so I was left to just lay there, eyes shut.

I heard Dean shift in the bed.

"Are you all right?" Cas asked. Dean must have been awake.

"No thanks to you." Dean replied with a weak voice. "Is she okay?" He asked Castiel, his voice focused towards me. Leave it to Dean to worry about me when he was the one hooked to tubes.

"She's fine. She's angry… but she's not injured." He replied. "You need to be more careful." Cas told him and I suppressed the urge to roll over and kick him in the face. Assholes.

"You need to learn how to manage a damn devil's trap." Dean replied with a little anger.

"That's not what I mean." Cas corrected himself. "Uriel is dead."

Yeah, I wasn't going to mourn over that.

"Was it the demons?" Dean asked.

"It was disobedience. He was working against us." Cas explained.

I had told them time and time again not to trust that evil bastard. I had been right all along… he had helped me run away. The supporting evidence was becoming overwhelming.

"Lex was right?" Dean asked.

"It would seem so." Cas replied. There was a long silence.

"Is it true?" Dean asked and I prayed he wasn't asking about the first seal. "Did I break the first seal? Did I start all this?" he asked Cas.

If Cas could hear my thoughts, I was begging him to protect Dean from this one truth. They hadn't protected him in that room but Cas could shield him from this. He didn't have to tell Dean he was the reason behind the end of the world.

"Yes." He replied and I heard Dean exhale. "When we discovered Lilith's plan for you, we laid siege to hell and we fought our way to get to you before you-"

"Jump-started the apocalypse." Dean finished for him, tears in his voice.

"And we were too late." Castiel added.

"Why didn't you just leave me there, then?" Dean asked in anger.

"It's not blame that falls on you, Dean, it's fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it." Cas told him and in my tired state, I still heard Dean take a shaky breath. They couldn't expect Dean to single-handedly stop the god-damn apocalypse.

"Lucifer? The apocalypse?" Dean asked. "What does that mean?" There was another silence "Hey! Don't you go disappearing on me, you son of a bitch. What does that mean!" Dean asked louder.

"I don't know." Cas replied, looking away.

"Bull." Dean said louder.

"I don't. Dean, they don't tell me much. I know our fate rests with you." Cas responded.

"Well, then you guys are screwed. I can't do it, Cas. It's too big." Dean was overwhelmed. "Alastair was right. I'm not all here. I'm not—I'm not strong enough." Dean's voice was wavering. "Well, I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted me to be. Find someone else. It's not me."

My heart broke for Dean.

I had to fix this.

* * *

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, gently trying to wake me. Oh my God… whoever it was, I wished they'd just carry me to the car instead. I slowly opened my eyes and realized I was curled up against someone. I looked up to see a smirking Dean holding me against him, all signs of previous distress gone. His conversation with Cas had left him wounded but he was Dean, and the tough guy façade was back up so Sam and I wouldn't worry.

"Dean?" I asked. He chuckled and brushed the hair out of my face.

"Yeah ankle-biter." He replied, still smiling. I sighed and rested my head comfortably on his chest. He was okay... and that was all that mattered. I shut my eyes and welcomed sleep in his arms.

"How'd I get here?" I mumbled. He kissed the top of my head and tightened his hold on me.

"I told Sam to move you from the chair." He replied.

"Couldn't go a few minutes without me, could you?" I teased, eyes still shut. "I'm in high demands these days, Dean." I informed him.

"Yeah, I've noticed." He replied sourly at the fact that guys did tend to hit on me and I could help but chuckle. There was silence for a moment. "Cas left pretty quickly. You two get into an argument?" he asked me. Where do I begin with that?

"That's putting it lightly." I remarked, sighing. I didn't want to get into how our friendship was on an indefinite hiatus.

"What about?" Dean pried. I thought about whether or not I should answer truthfully. Then I remembered I was talking to Dean and I didn't want to lie to him.

"I told him he was an asshole for putting you in that room." I answered. "Just because you have certain skills, doesn't mean people should ask you to use them." I told him; all too well remembering that the angels wanted Dean to stop the apocalypse. He didn't say anything for a while.

"You heard everything, didn't you?" he asked me after the long silence. He was referring to Alastair and the cell.

"You may have broken the first seal, but it's not your job to stop the apocalypse." I replied ignoring his question.

"I broke the first seal, Lex. I put it all into action. If anyone is responsible… it's me." He said weakly. I pushed myself up and Dean looked up at me as I sat beside him.

"Firstly, you and dad were probably the only righteous men in hell to being with." I pointed out. "Secondly… you survived thirty years in the pit without caving, Dean. You'd be surprised how anyone else would have cracked in thirty seconds." I told him, remembering how quickly I screamed when Lilith was attempting to pull out my heart.

"You want to blame someone… blame the angels. Blame heaven, blame hell. They're having their petty war… why do we need to get dragged into it?" I asked forcefully. "I was happy hunting monsters but this shit is beyond our control. What do they expect us to do?" I asked him. Dean stared ahead and didn't reply but the truth was we both knew what they wanted us to do. The truth, plain and simple, was that we Winchesters were in this battle whether we wanted to be or not. Heaven expected a lot from us.

They wanted us to obey.

They expected us to fight.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! This was a Dean-centric episode and I didn't want to step on that. I tried to keep it balanced, but let me know what you think.

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**ALSO - **just to update you guys, these are episodes I'm definitely going to write as one-shots and other stories - currently in the works.

- Folsom Prison Blues

- Jus In Bello

- All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1 and 2

- No Rest For The Wicked

- What Is And Should Never Be

- The first ten episodes of Season 4 (As a ten chapter prequel)

- All episodes with Bela or Ghost Facers

- Faith

- Route 666

And many more so just keep an eye out... I'm very ambitious and plan on writing every episode... eventually o_O. Wish me luck!

* * *

**Review Response**

**Liz.H - **Thank-you so much for your review! I'm glad you liked the three different POV's :)

**Sara.B **- Thanks for your review. Protective Sammy is always fun to write and there will be plenty more. I love that Cas is back too, I can finally start thickening the plot now and of course Dean manages to defy the rules for his siblings ;)

**Jasmine** - Thanks so much! You always have wonderful things to say and I appreciate the feedback xx

**I. Holmes **- Thanks so much! I'm glad you're following :P

**Anon** - Thanks so much for reviewing and yes, when I get started... I get carried away and end up writing heaps so thanks!

**JJ** - Thank-you so much for your review.

**harlembob** - I love your name btw :D Thanks for your review and yes, I will be writing that episode at some point ;)

**Guest - **Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you like the sibling bonding and that you think Alexis fits in well with the boys x

Feel free to message me anytime :)

**REVIEW BELOW xx**

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	18. Chapter 18 - It's A Terrible Life

**Author's Note:**

New chapter and it's ahead of time! Very, very strange for me to write out of character for the siblings, mostly Dean and Lex but hopefully I pulled it off ;)

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; Emilyrose475, Deany-Elle, sammygrrl00, lexi-tomlinson-styles5, lisab2012, snn7b, JensenAcklesfanforever, Carver Edlund, Guest and Jasmine. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 18 – It's A Terrible Life**

The phone was ringing. I rolled over in bed to look at the time on my alarm clock which read 5:45 am. I restrained myself from swearing. My parents had always told me that the uneducated, who lacked a wide vocabulary, were the one who used vile language in everyday life, but who could possibly have been calling this early? I reached over and answered for the sake of courtesy.

"Hello?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Good morning Miss Taylor. This is Joanne, from reception at the department of Sales and Marketing at Sandover Bridge and Iron." Joanne told me in sweet voice. I spoke to her every day at the office but she still spoke to me like I'd forgotten who she was. Why was she calling me?

"Hi Joanne, what can I do for you?" I replied sitting up in bed and double checking I wasn't running late.

"Well, it turns out that Mr. Johnson has decided to take this week and the next, off due to work-related stress, hence suspending your internship for the next two weeks with him as your supervising manager." She replied. Oh, that was not good. This internship was going to take me places. And what work-related stress? I had been working with Mr. Johnson for the past three weeks and I'd been reducing his workload significantly. How was he stressed?

"Okay." I prompted her to continue.

"However, we do have an opening in the same division so I was calling to ask if you'd like to continue working, however for a different supervisor." She told me. I didn't hesitate.

"Of course, I'd love to." I answered quickly.

"Alrighty then. Come on at the usual time and I'll get you settled." She informed me.

"Absolutely, thanks Joanna." I smiled hoping she'd hear the gratitude in my voice.

"Bye-bye."

I put the phone down and slumped back in bed. I was tired but I had to get up. I walked out of my bedroom and into the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on. It was a nice apartment, for a university student at least, with one bedroom, one bathroom, one kitchen and a spectacular view of a side-alley dumpster adorned with graffiti.

Then came the usual routine; a fifteen minute run, shower, breakfast, walk to the station and then public transport to work. I walked up the stairs to the foyer and checked myself in the long mirrors along the walls. My hair was tightly bound and my make-up was flawless. Having to work in such a sophisticated environment, I wore a white blouse, an above knee length, black, pencil skirt, high heels and a black suit jacket, tailored to my figure. The whole outfit was constricting but the business call for it.

I had been working hard at my business degree and this internship, with one of the most successful companies in America, was going to be gold on my resume and future portfolio. Although Mr. Johnson had been a grouchy man to work for, I was grateful for the experience which alone would open up multiple job opportunities, most of them at this company. All I could hope for was that my new boss would be less difficult to run after than the hot-headed Mr. Johnson.

I got to the reception on the sixteenth floor and walked up to Joanna's desk. She looked up at me and hurriedly arranged some papers.

"Oh, it's good that you're here. Mr. Smith just arrived so let's get you set up." She said as she emerged from behind her desk and grabbed my arm, leading me back to the elevator. Mr. Smith… he sounded old. She pushed me into the elevator and hit the twenty-second floor, indicating whoever I was working for was important.

"So, Mr. Smith joined this company three weeks ago and he's one of the greatest assets we've ever had." Joanna explained handing me some of the files. "Treat him with the utmost respect and class. He'll guide you through the work he needs done and I'm sure you'll have a very productive day." She told me, handing me more files. The elevator opened and Joanna led me down the hall finally stopping at a door which read, 'Dean Smith - Director, Sales & Marketing'.

Dean.

That name.

I brushed off the strange feeling as Joanna knocked on the door and it opened a few seconds later. There were two men in the office, both looked to be around their late twenties or early thirties and both were wearing expensive suits.

The one who had answered the door was staring at me in an uncomfortable way, his eyes running over my body like I was a piece of meat. The other one was staring at me too but differently… almost like he recognized me. I kept my eyes on the one I hoped to God was Dean.

"Mr. Smith. Mr. Turner." Joanna acknowledged the both of them. "I was just showing your new intern to your office, Mr. Smith. Meet Alexis Taylor, previously working for Mr. Johnson." She introduced me. To my relief, the non-creepy one walked forward and held out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Taylor. I'm Dean." He smiled. I shook his hand at there was something familiar about his face which I couldn't quite shake. Maybe we had run into each other before.

"'Please, call me Alexis." I told him before holding out my hand to the other guy. He shook it enthusiastically, holding on a little too long for comfort.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it." Joanna said smiling before she turned at left me alone. I smiled weakly at Dean hoping that Mr. Turner would leave already.

"Well, I think it's time I get and intern." Mr. Turner said smiling at me. I smiled back uncomfortably. "Anyway, wish I didn't have to go but there's work to be done." He nodded towards Dean and headed to the door. "Call me when your off your detox." He called to Dean before slipping out of the office.

I turned to Dean and handed him the files I'd been holding for Joanna. He took them from me and went to sit at his desk.

"Please, sit." He offered the seat opposite him and I noticed there was a second desk perpendicular to his, probably meant for me. I took the seat and placed my bag on the floor, ready to talk business. Dean was still looking at me with a strange look on his face.

"Have we ever met before?" he asked me. Did he feel it too?

"No, I don't think so." I replied. Dean nodded slowly and began flipping through the files with his eyebrows knitted together.

"Okay." He said sitting down and placing the open files between us. "Should we get down to business?" he asked.

"Sure." I replied. Dean nodded and pulled out a few spread sheets from his drawer. He handed them to me and waited.

"What do you see?" he asked me. I ran my eyes over the figures and did some quick calculations in my head. Luckily I was actually good at my job so this was turning out to be relatively easy.

"There's a small discrepancy in the expected client-retention rate in relation to the return on sales." I pointed out to him. He nodded. "But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a blunder in business," I added. "It could be small filing errors which have accumulated." Dean seemed happy with my answer.

"Exactly, so I need you to go through the spread sheets for the last financial year; pick up on all said discrepancies and track back to the I.T. employees who did the filing. Once we get that up to date then by the end of the week we'll know if this is a technical or business error." Dean told me. "Will you be able to do that?" he asked. This was going to be easy.

"Yes sir." I replied, confident about the task at hand. He winced at my response.

"Please don't call me sir. Dean is fine." He informed me. I nodded slowly.

"Okay."

I got to work.

* * *

Dean Smith was a hard worker. He had been focused on all tasks at hand; alongside of me, the whole day and although it was worthwhile work, I wondered how he had been doing this for so many years, it was exhausting.

I had pulled out around twenty separate spread sheets, for the month of July alone, that had errors. By the looks of it, many of the errors were occurring because of the changeover to the Vista computer system in the past year, indicating that there wasn't any serious problem. Customers were left with a great impression of the company but their contact with the company after the initial meeting had been filed under different I.D. numbers, hence reducing the client-retention rate. Dean glanced at his watch and must have realized how late it was.

"Sorry for keeping you so late." He said looking out the window and noticing the lack of sun for the first time. I smiled at him, letting him know it didn't worry me. "We'll leave it that for now." He said rubbing his face. I organized the files on my desk and reached for my bag. "I'll walk you out." He told me reaching for his bag. "You did a great job today and this company could use people like you. Once your internship is over, I'll have a word with Mr. Adler about potential long term employment." He said walking to the door and holding it open for me.

I couldn't believe it. Dean's good word for me would help in unimaginable ways.

"Thank you Dean." I replied as he shut the door behind us and led me to the elevator. "How are you liking your job here?" I asked him, curious to see if it was as taxing as I'd seen today. "Joanna told me you started here three weeks ago, same as me." I informed him. He pulled out his phone and glanced at it before answering my question.

"Ah, just your regular desk job. Sedentary lifestyle and all." He said as we approached the elevator. He hit the button and I felt strange again. I looked up at Dean, feeling upset about something, but I wasn't sure what. There was something about him that made me feel… safe, like he'd always have my back. I wasn't sure if it was because he was taking me under his wing or if it was something else.

All I really wanted to do… and as strange as it sounded, it was true… was loop my arms around him and give him a hug.

Of course that was highly inappropriate and there was no way I'd ever show that kind of affection towards Dean, but that was the part that was making me upset. He seemed so familiar to me and the fact he was standing so close, but I couldn't do anything about it made me want to hurt something.

Control.

I wasn't sure if this was an office crush but if it was I had to shut up about it right now. Dean was a good looking guy and the feelings I had for him were intense but they weren't romantic. I couldn't believe the nonsense I was thinking and shook all thoughts out of my head as the elevator door opened. I walked in, Dean close behind me.

There was one other guy inside. He was tall, about 6'4 or 6'5 and he was wearing a yellow shirt which meant he was from the I.T. department. The strange part was that he was staring at the both of us… similar to way Dean had stared at me before, like he recognized us. Dean was still preoccupied with his phone but I glanced up at the Sasquatch and offered a smile. He continued to look between us.

"Do I know you?" he asked slowly. I wasn't sure who he was talking to so I looked to Dean. He glanced up at the tall guy.

"I don't think so." He replied looking back at his phone. I shook my head in response to his question, confirming I'd never seen him before.

"I'm sorry, you just look really familiar." The guy chuckled before looking strangely at me again.

"Save it for the health club, pal." Dean told him as he the elevator opened and he led me out into the foyer. "Some people." He muttered to me, walking us ahead. I glanced back and caught one last glimpse of the confused man before the elevator door closed.

Today had been a strange day.

* * *

**Sam**

My dreams were getting stranger and I wasn't even sure why. All the supernatural adventures I'd imagined hadn't make a lick of sense to me. On top of that, the two employees I had run into last night in the elevator; their faces were etched into my memory like tequila after taste. My fascination with them was borderline creepy but I didn't know what to make of it. Why did the two of them seem so familiar?

I headed to the coffeepot with Ian close behind me, both of us needing a break from work, although Ian could do with a lot less downtime and a little more productivity. With the hot coffee in my hand, I turned around in time to see Ian pocketing packets of pencils from the supply cabinet, like the cheap-skate he was.

"Ian, dude." I sighed looking behind him to make sure no else had seen.

"Just doing a little shopping. Running low at home." He smiled at me as he tucked the packets in deep. I handed him the cup of coffee, accepting that this was Ian and I couldn't do anything to change him because he was a strong-willed dick bag.

"So, Sam, had any of those dreams lately?" he asked. I turned back to the counter sighing. Not this again. "What? Don't be like that. Come on. It's the highlight of my day." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"I never should have told you in the first place." I said with exhaustion. He had been pestering me over the strange dreams but in ways that made me feel more and more like a freak and less comforted.

"They're genius. Don't hold out on me, dude. Share with the class." He told me while I poured out my coffee.

"You're just gonna be a dick about it." I pointed out to him as I turned around.

"What?" he exclaimed like it wasn't true. Ian was downright stupid if he thought I was actually going to believe he was a sensitive guy, in any sense of the word. "No way. I won't say a word. Total respect. Go." He motioned for me to speak. He was going to keep bugging me until I told him so I might as well have told him and gotten it over with.

"I dreamt that I saved a Grim Reaper named Tessa from demons." I told him slowly. To no surprise, he burst out laughing. Yeah, sensitive my ass. I sighed, looking away from him and holding in my frustration.

"Classic! How much D&D did you play when you were a kid?" he asked me in excitement, with his hand on his head. "Oh, my—okay, so you—rescuing the Grim Reaper." He said pacing in front of me. "That's—you're a hero." He stopped and pointed a finger at me. "I mean, thank God we got Harry Potter here to save us all from the apocalypse." He laughed.

"Dick." I reminded him that he was being one.

"Wizard." He shot back. I looked past him as the girl from the elevator entered the tea room. She looked up at me and almost stopped in her tracks when she noticed I was here too. I must have really freaked her out last night but I wasn't sure how to apologize without making myself out to be an even bigger stalker. Ian turned around to see what I was looking at and a big smile spread across his face when his eyes fell on her.

She noticed Ian and smiled at the both of us as she walked forward. I stepped out of the way and let her pass to the coffee pot, the whole time Ian was watching her in a way that made me unusually angry.

"Come on." I said turning his face around and pushing him out the door. He struggled in my grip but I was much stronger than him.

"Dude! What the hell Sam!" he said, lightly pushing me off him. "I totally had a chance with her and you cock-blocked me." He exclaimed as we walked back to our cubicles.

"No, you didn't." I told him firmly. "And I saw the way you were looking at her. She's not a piece of meat, man. Show some damn respect." I chastised him, trying desperately to tone down the impulsive anger. He turned to face me with an amused grin.

"How is she not a piece of meat? Did you see that waistline?" he inhaled through his teeth and shut his eyes. "That ass, that rack and those lips." He said tracing the outline of her body with his hands. I slapped them away and shoved him to his desk.

"Shut up." I told him. "And do your work." I moved my shoulders, trying to ease my tense muscles which were itching to throw a punch in Ian's direction. I sat down at my desk as Ian wheeled over.

"Chill, Sam. You want her, you can have her." He laughed. "There are plenty of fish in the sea." He added, swiveling in the chair. That was the problem. I didn't 'want' her, so why did I care so much? And why hadn't the feeling that I'd seen her before, left me yet?

* * *

**Lex**

Dean was walking me out once again and I felt like this would become a habit in the future. He seemed to be relatively interested in whether I was fitting into the work schedule alright. His concern for me was making it harder for me to break off any connection I felt towards him and instead, I began liking him more.

After struggling to find an apartment, pay my rent, pay my university tuition and juggle my part time jobs, it was nice to have someone who looked out for me and provided that, albeit small yet evident sense of security.

The elevator doors opened on the way down and the tall man who we'd run into yesterday walked in, actively noticing the both of us. I had disregarded our brief encounter in the tearoom this morning but now I was concerned as to why I was bumping into him so often. He stood on the other side of the elevator and tried not to look at us. I glanced up at Dean, curious as to whether he had noticed the guy and he kept his eyes averted, indicating he had.

The elevator opened again on the sixth floor and the rest of the crowd began piling out until it was just the tall guy, Dean and myself left in the small enclosed space.

Just great.

Dean glanced at him awkwardly while he shifted uncomfortably successfully creating the four most unpleasant seconds of my life.

"Can I ask you a question?" the tall guy asked all of a sudden after the doors closed. Again I didn't know who he was referring to so I let Dean take the wheel.

"Look, man, I told you, I'm not into the, uh-" Dean began awkwardly.

"Oh dude, come on, I'm not either." He shook his head at Dean. "I just wanna ask you both one question." He said. I was growing a little uncomfortable but there was no escape from this situation seeing as we were trapped in an elevator. Dean seemed like he was battling the same thoughts I was.

"Sure." I replied. He didn't seem like a dangerous person, how much harm could come from asking one question?

"What do you think about ghosts?" he asked. Yeah, he was crazy. He was crazy and we were stuck in an elevator with him. Dean and I just stared at him, unsure that we heard correctly.

"Ghosts?" Dean asked for clarification.

"Do you believe in them?" he asked us seriously. No, I didn't believe in ghosts. Dean laughed from behind me.

"Uh, tell you the truth, I've never given it much thought." He replied. The guy looked down at me and I shook my head.

"No, I don't." I said to him glad that question time was over.

"Vampires?" he asked. Okay, this was getting weird. I leaned the tiniest bit away from him.

"What? Why?" Dean asked looking over at him.

"Because I've been having some weird dreams lately. You know what I mean?" he asked us. I had no idea what to say. Did he think that we were going to give him advice or relate to his strange problems? Better yet, why did he think it was appropriate to tell us? We didn't even know him.

"No. Not really." I replied for the both of us.

"So you've never had any...weird dreams?" he asked and I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Dean noticed.

"All right, look, man, I don't know you, okay?" he said reaching over and pressing the elevator buttons. "And clearly she doesn't know you either." He said referring to me. "But you're scaring my intern so I'm gonna do a public service and, uh, let you know that—that you overshare." The elevator doors opened, finally. "Come on." Dean said ushering me out.

This time, I didn't turn around, not wanting to encourage the man and his weird behavior. Also, Dean coming to my rescue didn't help me suppress the strong feelings I felt around him, which just made me more frustrated.

"That guy." Dean breathed in disbelief. I shrugged my shoulders as we walked through the foyer.

"Maybe he's… you know." I said to him. He looked down at me in confusion.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, not all there." I explained tapping head. Dean contemplated what I said and nodded.

"That would explain… a lot." He noted as we exited the building.

I hoped tomorrow would be a better day.

* * *

**Dean**

Alexis Taylor.

She was my new intern and she'd grown on me. She was great at her job, very focused on what needed to be done and an ideal employee. However, there was something different about her that made her special. I thought it was because she reminded me of my little sister Jo and for that reason; I had unintentionally grown a little protective of her in the workplace.

I didn't mind… it seemed natural to me.

* * *

**Lex**

The third day of my internship had gone smoothly leading me to believe everything would get better from then on out.

I was wrong.

Dean wasn't in his office when I got to work but his bag was. I organized myself and went down to the tearoom to get our morning coffee only to find a crowd around the elevator. The employees were huddled together and whispering about something but I couldn't see over their shoulders. I pushed forward and emerged at the front of the crowd next to Dean.

"What's going on?" I asked just as I noticed the coroners lift up a body bag.

"Alexis?" Dean turned to face me when he noticed I was there. My hand went up to my mouth, my eyes wide with shock. Did somebody die here? "Hey, you don't have to see this." He told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. Oh my God, someone _had _died.

We both looked over and noticed the guy from the elevator watching us. He was a strange man but he couldn't possibly have had anything to do with this, could he?

The coroners rolled the body past us and I inched away, unknowingly stepping between Dean and Ted who I had just noticed was standing beside Dean.

"Something about this seem not right to you?" Dean asked Ted.

"Uh, yeah, try the whole thing. I'm telling you, man, I'll never eat popcorn again." He told Dean.

"Yeah, right." Dean replied. I looked back over at the tall guy who was still watching me.

So much for normal.

* * *

"So he just put his head in the microwave and let it explode?" I asked Dean. The two of us were sitting in his office, trying to get back to work but the death in the building seemed more important to the both of us.

"That's what they told us." Dean replied from his seat. He glanced at his computer and began typing.

"How did he even get the microwave to work without the door shut?" I asked, genuinely not knowing how it was possible.

"He wedged the broken spikes of the plastic forks into the latch." Dean paused. "Hey, look at this." He said pointing to the screen. I walked over and leaned over his shoulder to see Dean had pulled the Sandover personnel file for Paul Dunbar. It said his retirement party was supposed to be in two weeks.

"Two weeks?" I asked. He should have been over the moon and celebrating, not stuffing his head into microwaves.

"Why would he kill himself?" Dean asked me. I sunk back in my chair, irritated at the restricted movement due to my skirt. If I had really wanted I could have changed into the pantsuit I had stored in a hired out locker at reception but Joanna had told me that wearing a skirt was much better presentation for the company.

"It doesn't seem right, does it?" I asked him. "Maybe we should get back to work." I suggested. "Keep our minds off it." Dean glanced up at me and nodded.

"You're right." He said leaning over and handing me a slip of paper. "This was handed into me yesterday from Tech. Support." I read over the page which was filed out by a guy named Ian. He had made the same blunder that I had been fixing over the past few days.

"Do you want me to fix this?" I asked him. He shook his head.

"We don't have the data for filing… that guy, Ian, has the information. I'm going to call him up and I need you to walk him through the process so he doesn't make the same mistake again." He told me while reaching for the phone.

"Okay." I said grabbing a pen and making a few notes on the sheet.

"Hi Joanna, could you please send an Ian Wright from Tech Support to my office please? Okay, thanks." He put the phone down and we got back to work, the suicide still on our minds.

Two minutes later there was a knock on the door. We looked up to see Ian standing at the entrance to the office. He was kind of cute and I recognized him as the guy who'd been speaking to the tall guy a few days ago when I was in the tearoom. He seemed different today.

"Hi. Ian, is it? Yeah, come on in." Dean welcomed him into the office and he walked forward. "Yesterday you filled out a 445-T and no problem, just a few errors when we did your switch over to Vista. So I'm sure you're used to filling out the dash-R's, am I right?" Dean smiled. Ian looked upset at the news.

"Oh, no." he breathed. His eyes grew a little watery and the look on his face made my heart clench.

"No, no, no. It's fine. It's fine. I just need you to redo one today so I can get the show on the road with the invoicing. Alexis here is just going to help you out with the filing." He said motioning to me. I smiled at him and offered him a seat at my desk. Ian looked at the piece of paper I was offering him in terror.

"Oh my god." Ian mumbled, barely coherent. I narrowed my eyes, confused at his reaction.

"No, it's fine. Just refile it and we're square." Dean reassured him.

"I can't believe I did this." Ian began rambling and both Dean and I noticed something was wrong. "I can't believe I—I can't believe I did this."

"Hey, guy, come on." Dean tried to calm him down.

"It's okay Ian, really." I stood up and stepped towards him.

"No, no. It affected profits." He exclaimed. "It—I screwed up. I—I can't—I can't—I am so sorry." Ian was freaking out. "I—how could I do that? I failed Sandover. I failed the company." He continued to ramble emotionally. I looked to Dean for help.

"All right, why don't you sit down, Ian?" Dean offered calmly, taking his Bluetooth head piece off and getting out of his chair. He was going to fix this.

"No." Ian breathed. He backed away and ran out of the room, on the verge of tears.

"Ian? Ian. Hey." Dean called after him as the two of us raced behind him and followed him down the hall. I was faster than Dean but my heels were slowing me down so we reached the end of the hall at the same time to see Ian disappear into the men's toilets. Dean followed Ian in while I waited outside.

"Ian, hey. Just chill out, man. Okay?" I heard Dean tell him. Then there was the sound of Ian's heavy breathing before suddenly, the sound of running water. Despite my better judgment, I pushed open the door and peeked in.

Ian was staring into the mirror and Dean was standing a foot from the door but the point worth noting was that all the faucets and soap dispensers were open, letting the water and soap run free.

"Dean?" I asked, not sure what was going on,

"Ian, hey, maybe we should get out of here, huh?" Dean suggested but Ian kept staring at himself. "Come on. Ian." Dean called out again. The soap was still spilling and Ian still hadn't noticed us. "Look at me." Dean ordered him.

Ian turned towards us, as I stepped beside Dean, and pulled a pencil out of his pocket. He stared at us for a second before stabbing himself in the jugular with the pencil.

Oh my God.

I rushed towards him and caught him as his knees hit the floor. His blood was spurting everywhere. Instinct took over and before I knew it, I was pressing down around the entry point with my thumbs. I could feel Ian's veins pumping the blood out, on my fingers but I just pressed harder as the blood soaked me.

Dean was beside me in an instance, holding Ian's shoulder. The blood was still rushing out when Ian went still, my fingers still in his wound.

"Somebody help!" Dean yelled.

* * *

I was shaking.

My hands, blouse and skirt were covered in blood. The paramedics had looked me over already and had handed me some wet wipes and a towel for the blood. Dean stood a little further away from me, talking to the cops.

"No, I, I followed him into the bathroom." He said as the coroner rolled the body bag past the both of us. An audience of co-workers had gathered around and they were watching us. "He was, uh—he was standing there in front of the mirror, and then-" Dean stopped as he noticed the tall guy in the audience.

"Continue. Sir." The officer prompted.

"And he stabbed himself in the neck. I'm sorry, that's, um..." Dean stopped, not able to say anything else.

"Miss." The officer approached me as I continued to wipe my hands. "You were also at the scene. Can you recount the events?" he asked me. I nodded meekly.

"Um, Dean… Dean followed Ian into the bathroom and I decided to wait outside since it was the men's toilets," I looked over at Dean who was still watching the tall guy. I really should have learnt his name. "and um, then I peeked inside. Ian was staring at himself in the mirror and then he took out that pencil…" I took a breath. "…and stabbed himself in the neck." I told him. The officer nodded.

"And did you try and stop the bleeding?" he asked. It was a stupid question given that I was covered in blood but I guess they had to ask.

"Yes." I answered. "I stuck my fingers against the..." I pointed at my own neck, not sure how to describe the pencil wound. "… and I tried to stop the blood but then he stopped moving." I finished, looking down.

"Have you ever had previous medical training?" the officer asked me. Dean looked to me, waiting for an answer.

"No." I replied. The officer noted something down on his notepad.

"Is that important?" Dean asked for me. The officer looked up at the both of us.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. We just wanted to know how you knew to apply pressure despite the pencil being lodged. Not a lot of people would do that. Unfortunately the coroner said there was no way to save Ian but you were on the right track." He informed us. I didn't know why I had even stuck my fingers in Ian's neck. My body had started moving without me having to think.

"Well, that's all we need." He told us as he turned to leave.

"I have a spare suit. I'll just go and change." I said quietly to Dean. He nodded at me.

"Meet me at the office when you're done." He told me. I knew why he wanted me there. After all these events, it was evident something was not right.

* * *

I walked down to Dean's door in my pantsuit just as the tall guy approached from the other end of the hall. He stopped in front Dean's office too and we both stared at each other for a moment before he knocked on the open door. Dean was buttoning up a fresh shirt when he looked up.

"Come on in. Shut the door." He told us. I walked in first and leaned against my desk while the tall guy shut the door behind us.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean asked leaning on his chair. It was a good question seeing as this guy had popped up everywhere these last few days.

"I'm not sure I know." The guy replied, chuckling humorlessly.

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean asked. He needed to tone down the harsh language. The guys adjusted his bag on his shoulder and sighed.

"Sam Wesson. I started here three weeks ago." He replied. Three weeks ago? Just like Dean and I had.

"All right. You cornered us in the elevator talking about ghosts. And now..." Dean stopped. Now what? Why did Dean call Sam here? Boy, those names felt like they'd been on my lips for years.

"Now what?" Sam asked. I looked up at Dean who seemed flustered. There was a pause before Dean continued.

"Now nothing." he walked to his counter and grabbed the detox mixture he'd been chugging down these past few days. "I, uh...so you started working here three weeks ago, huh?" he asked, walking back to his chair. Sam nodded in response.

"Yeah, so did we." Dean nodded towards me.

"Hi, I'm Alexis." I introduced myself and Sam smiled at me. Dean unscrewed the top of his bottle.

"It's the Master Cleanse. You tried it? Phenomenal. Detoxes you like nobody's business." Dean rambled before drinking the vile stuff. Sam and I just watched him, a little confused at his behavior.

"When you were in that bathroom with Ian… did you see something?" Sam asked slowly.

"I don't know. I don't know what I saw." Dean replied. My eyes widened at his response. He did see something.

"Wait. Are you saying that—did you see a ghost?" Sam asked.

"I was freaking out. The guy penciled his damn neck." Dean defended pointing to his own neck.

"You saw a ghost?" I asked him. He glared at me.

"How were you not freaking out?" he asked me. "You say you have no medical training but you moved like lightning and just stuck your finger all up in there." Dean accused me. I looked away uncomfortably.

"I don't know what happened." I replied, replaying the events in my head. Dean noticed he'd made me upset.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." He said quietly.

"It's fine." I told him before looking up at Sam. "What do you know that we don't?" I asked him. Sam looked to me and then Dean.

"You saw a ghost, didn't you?" Sam asked him. "Okay, listen. What if these suicides aren't suicides? I mean, what if they're something not natural?"

"So, what, ghosts are real? And they're responsible for all the dead bodies around here? Is that what you're telling us?" Dean asked as the two of them sat down in unison and I just stood there like the awkward turtle I was.

"I know it sounds crazy. But yes. That's what I'm telling you." Sam replied.

"Yeah. It is crazy. And what is this based on?" I asked him, still standing and refusing to get sucked into their newfound bromance. Sam looked around, searching for an answer.

"Instinct." He replied. I just shook my head. Sam had to know that instinct alone wouldn't convince us-

"I've got the same instinct." Dean said.

"What?" I asked. What was going on?

"Seriously?" Sam asked. "You know those dreams I was telling you about? I was dreaming about ghosts." Sam exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah." Dean muttered.

"And then it turns out that there's a real ghost." Sam continued.

"Wait, so you're telling us that your dreams are special visions and you're some kind of psychic?" I asked almost scoffing at the absurdity of that sentence.

"No. I mean, that would be nuts. I'm just saying something weird is definitely going on around here, right? So I've been digging around a little." Sam said, pulling papers out of his bag. "I think I found a connection between the two guys." He said handing the papers over to Dean. I walked to Dean and read them as he held them up. Sam had somehow accessed the victims' email accounts.

"You broke into their email accounts?" Dean asked.

"I used some skills that I happen to have to satisfy my curiosity." Sam replied diplomatically.

"Nice." Dean smirked. I couldn't believe he was encouraging this; then again, this might get us some answers.

"Yeah. Okay. So it turns out Ian and Paul both got this same email telling them to report to HR, room fourteen forty-four." Sam explained.

"HR's on seven." I noted.

"Exactly." Sam grinned at us. Although it was going against everything I was taught, I so desperately wanted to find out what was in room fourteen forty-four. I could still feel Ian's blood pumping beneath my fingers and I wanted to know why he'd killed himself.

"Should we go check this out?" Dean asked the both of us.

"Like right now?" Sam asked in response.

"No. No, it's getting late. You're right." Dean played down his curiosity.

"It's not that late." I said slowly.

"I am dying to check this out right now." Sam said, barely containing himself.

"Right?" Dean asked equally enthused. This had been the weirdest week of my life and despite the two deaths in the building, I liked the adrenaline rush I was getting just thinking about these unexplained events.

There was something wrong with me.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dean asked me. We were walking down the corridor of the fourteenth floor, looking for the right room.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked him. He glanced at Sam and then back at me.

"Well, as my intern, you're my responsibility. I just don't want you getting hurt." He explained. There was that feeling of comfort again.

"Thanks, but I'm also my own person. I'll be fine." I replied and I caught Sam smiling at my response. We turned the corner in time to hear a man screaming, not far from where we were. We rushed around the next corner and Sam tried to open the door to fourteen forty-four but it was locked.

Then Sam did something amazing. He took a step back and kicked the door in. Damn, he was strong. Just like that, no second thought about it.

"Whoa." Dean breathed. I stared at Sam with a newfound respect.

We looked into the room and saw a man lying on the floor with a heavy shelf on top of him. He was struggling to get free and so Sam and Dean rushed forward. Before Dean could even hold the shelf, and old man appeared behind him and flung him to the side like Dean weighed nothing. I froze in fear.

The old man ghost moved forward and shoved Sam back hard enough for him to fall. If the ghost was strong enough to push those two down, what chance did I have? The old man walked back to the shelf and stuck his hand out, electricity sparking at his fingers… he mustn't have noticed me still standing at the door.

Without thinking, my legs started moving and before I knew it I had kicked in the back of his knee and elbowed the back of his head… hard. He spun around and went to push me but I moved to the side, blocking his strike, grabbing his wrist and cracking his elbow. It didn't faze him one bit.

He slapped my hands away and flung me back, through the air towards Sam. I would have fallen on my back if Sam hadn't caught me under the arms. Dean scrambled to his feet and grabbed a wrench from nearby. He swung without thought, through the ghost and it disappeared from sight.

The monitors around us, which had been beeping continuously, stopped and the room stopped shaking. Sam let go of me and we both stared at Dean, unsure of what had just happened. We both moved forward, not forgetting the man who was still trapped under the shelf. Sam and Dean lifted the heavy shelf while I helped the guy slide out from underneath.

"How'd you know how to do that?" I asked Dean.

"I have no idea." He replied. Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

I was sitting at Dean's dining table with my head in hands. He hadn't even asked us, he'd just ushered us to his apartment so we could figure this out. He emerged from the hall, drinking his Master Cleanse. Sam was leaning on the couch behind me, all of us in shock.

"Holy crap." Dean exclaimed as he paced in front of us.

"Yeah. I could use a beer." Sam said from behind me.

"I could use some therapy." I muttered from the table.

"Oh, sorry, man. I'm on the Cleanse. I got rid of all the carbs in the house." Dean apologized walking back into the kitchen. Sam came to sit beside me at the table.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked me.

'From you.' My inner voice replied.

What? I massaged my head trying to come up with a logical answer.

"I have no idea." I replied. Dean looked up from the kitchen.

"You're saying all of that was spur-of-the-moment?" he asked me, not believing me.

"Well, how on earth did you know that ghosts are scared of wrenches?" I shot back, wanting the attention off me. Dean handed both of us a chilled water bottle.

"Crazy, right?" Dean replied holding his hands out, palms upturned. "And nice job kicking that door too." He pointed at Sam. "That was very Jet Li. What are you, like a black belt or something?" he asked, grabbing his Master Cleanse. I was so sick of that drink, I just wanted to…

Control.

"No." Sam laughed. "I have no clue how I did that. It's like...we've done this before." He paused. "All of us." He said looking over at my sour expression

"What do you mean, before? Like Shirley MacLaine before?" Dean asked. Sam scoffed in amusement.

"No. I—I just can't shake this feeling like I—like I don't belong here. You know? Like I should do something more than sit in a cubicle." He explained.

"I think most people who work in a cubicle feel that same way." I replied taking a sip of water.

"No. Well, look, it's more than that." Sam said standing up. "Like, I don't like my job. I don't like this town." He said walking towards the kitchen. "I don't like my clothes. I don't like my own last name." he said leaning against the wall as Dean came to sit beside me. "I don't know how else to explain it, except that...it feels like I should be doing something else. There's just something in my blood. Like I was destined for something different." The broken look on Sam's face made me want to give him a hug.

What the fudge was wrong with me? When did I become an oversensitive hug-aholic?

"What about you? You ever feel that way?" Sam asked and I averted my gaze, trying not to think about how attached I was getting to Sam and Dean.

"I don't believe in destiny." Dean replied. "I do believe in dealing with what's right in front of us, though."

"All right, so, what do we do now?" Sam asked.

"We do what I do best, Sammy. Research." Dean stood up straight, smiling at his solution.

"You're going to research how to kill a ghost? Can ghosts even be killed?" I asked. Dean smiled at me.

"That's why we research." He tapped his temple.

"Okay." Sam nodded as Dean walked towards him. "Did you just call me Sammy?" he asked, not liking the sound of it.

"Did I?" Dean asked and I held in a smile.

"I think you did." Sam replied, confused. I liked the name Sammy. "Yeah. Don't." he told Dean before walking towards me.

"Sorry." Dean apologized before walking away. Sam came to sit beside me.

"You don't like the name Sammy?" I asked him. "It's a nice nickname." I pointed out. He shook his head at me.

"No one calls me that." He replied simply.

"What about your family?" I asked. "What do they call you?" He took a swig of his water.

"I don't keep in touch with them." He replied. I didn't like the sound of that at all. Family should always be there to support you.

"What about you?" he asked me.

"Uh, both my parents died when I was very young but I have two older brothers." I replied. "Mike and Nathan." I told him their names. They'd practically raised me. A frown found its way on Sam's face after I mentioned my brothers, almost like he didn't like the sound of them.

"Right." He said before reaching down and pulling his laptop out of his bag. I followed suit and took mine out too, ready to work.

* * *

**Sam**

Dean, Alexis and I were all busy researching ghosts, as crazy as it sounded. I was half focused. The fact that Alexis had two older brothers named Mike and Nathan really bugged me for some reason. It's didn't sit well with me and it was enough to distract me from the task at hand. I wasn't going to tell these two that in the dreams I had about ghost hunting, they were fighting beside me, like the three of us were family or something. That would freak them out more than the ghost but maybe that's why I was feeling so strange.

"Oh, jackpot." Dean said from his seat.

"What you got?" I asked looking up.

"I just found the best site ever. Real, actual ghost hunters." Dean replied excitedly as Alexis made her way over to him. I left my laptop, seeing as there was nothing useful there, and followed her.

"These guys are genius. Check it out." Dean said clicking through the pages.

"Instructional videos." Alexis pointed out. Dean pulled up a video with two men wearing white lab coats and hit play.

_GHOSTFACERS_

_'We know why you're watching.'_

_'You've got a problem.' _

_'A ghost problem.'_

_'A ghost-related problem. A ghost—it's like a ghost-adjacent pr—it's like a problem that's—and the ghost is-'_

_'Whatever. You've come to the right place. The only decent place, really, because the Ghostfacers know how to solve it.'_

_'Period.'_

_'Watch and learn.'_

_'See, the first step in any supernatural fight:'_

_'Figure out what you're up against.'_

I had found an article on death of Sandover's founder. Dean recognized the photo of the old man instantly.

"That's him. That's the ghost." Dean confirmed, both he and Alexis looking over my shoulder.

"P. T. Sandover. Died 1916. Devoted his life to his work. No wife, no kids." I read out to them. "Used to say he was the company, and his very blood pumped through the building." I scoffed.

"Wow, okay. So slight workaholic. Maybe he's still here, you know, watching over the company, even killing for it." Dean suggested walking ahead.

"Plus, turns out this isn't the first time people started killing themselves in the building. 1929." I told them.

"Yeah, but lots of guys jumped off lots of high rises that year." Dean pointed out, picking up on the Great Depression time period. But this was different.

"How many companies had seventeen suicides?" I asked him pointedly.

"Okay, so P. T. Sandover, protector of the company. His ghost wakes up and becomes active during times of grave economic distress." Alexis noted, pacing behind us.

"Well, I mean, the worst time we've seen since the Great Depression-" I started.

"Is now." Dean finished for me. "Yeah, now sucks. My portfolio's in the sewer. I don't even wanna talk about it." Dean said with a distressed look on his face. "So Sandover's helping the bottom line by zapping some model employees."

"Yeah. I mean, Ian and Paul. It was like he turned them into different people." I said, remembering their determined work ethic the day after receiving the email.

"Perfect worker bees, exactly. So devoted to the company that they would commit hara-kiri if they failed it." Dean continued.

"What's hara-kiri?" Alexis asked confused and I couldn't help but smile.

" It's a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment." I explained, remembering learning about it in college.

"That's insensitive." She chastised Dean, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"One more interesting fact. The building wasn't always that high. Used to be fourteen floors. And the room where the ghost attacked, fourteen forty-four? Once upon a time, that was the old man's office." I pointed out in satisfaction. We had a lead.

_'Once you've got that thing in your sights-' _

_'You kill it.' _

_'Using special ghost-hunting weapons.' _

_'First, salt. It's like acid to ghosts.'_

_'Burny acid.' _

_'Not LSD.' _

_'No. It's a bad trip for ghosts. Next up, iron.' _

"That's why the wrench worked." I pointed out. Dean and Alexis nodded in agreement.

_'Pure power in your hand.'_

_'Dissipates ghosts instantly.'_

_'Next little trick. We learned this from those useless douchebags-' _

_'That we hate.'_

_'And their hot sister.'_

_'Super-hot sister.'_

_'The Winchesters.'_

_'Gun.'_

_'Shotgun shell. Pack it up with fresh rock salt.'_

_'Very effective.'_

_'Very effective.'_

_'Winchesters still suck ass, though.'_

_'Affirmative. Suckage major.'_

_'Except for Chica Winchester. If you're watching, I dream about our babies.'_

Dean packed three pokers in a duffel bag along with a salt shaker and few other items the Ghostfacers had suggested.

"Where do we even get a gun?" Dean asked.

"Gun store?" I suggested handing him more salt which he placed in the duffel.

"Isn't there like some kind of waiting period or something?" Alexis asked.

"I think so." I replied.

"Well, how in the hell-" Dean started.

"Do you have to use that kind of language?" Alexis interrupted him. We both looked over at her.

"Hell?" I asked her. She was a real sweetheart if she found that offensive.

"Yeah. Anyway, even if we did get a gun… do either of you know how to shoot one. I don't and to be honest, I feel uncomfortable around any sort of weapon." She admitted. "There's a whole lot to worry about and that's even if we get our hands on one, which-"

"…seems pretty impossible, honestly." I finished for her.

"Right." Dean agreed.

_'The aforementioned super-annoying Winchester douchenozzles and their precious 'ankle-biter' also taught us this one other thing. You have to burn the remains.'_

_'Okay, this next part gets a little gross. Sometimes you might have to dig up the body. Sorry.'_

_'It's illegal in some states.'_

_'All states.' _

_'Possibly all states.' _

"Sandover was cremated." Alexis read from the screen in disappointment.

"What? So what do we do now?" Dean asked, leaning over her shoulder. This was getting complicated.

_'Now, if the deceased has been cremated-'_

_'Don't panic.'_

_'Don't panic.'_

_'Just gotta look for some other remains.'_

_'A hair in a locket, maybe. Fingernails. Baby teeth.' _

_'Milk teeth.' _

_'Genetic material. You know what we're talking about.' _

_'Go find it.'_

_'Fight well, young lions.' _

_'Godspeed.'_

* * *

**Lex**

I still couldn't believe we were doing this but that didn't stop me from walking into the elevator with Sam and Dean. We must have looked so… silly… walking around like we knew what we were doing when we didn't have a clue.

"How the hell are we gonna find some ancient speck of DNA in a skyscraper?" Sam asked and I sighed.

"Language." I muttered. Was it really that hard? He rolled his eyes at me in response.

"Well, that creepy storeroom used to be Sandover's office, right?" Dean asked, pressing the button for the fourteenth floor. "We start there."

"Is this classified as breaking and entering?" I asked, worried about getting caught. You always had to think ahead.

"Well, we all work here. I don't think so." Sam replied.

"Well, if we get caught, and this is illegal, then what?" I asked again. Dean gave me an uneasy look.

"Then we make sure we don't get caught." He replied as the elevator opened on the fourteenth floor. This was it.

I took a deep breath as we stepped out of the elevator and headed once again, to room fourteen forty-four. This time it wasn't locked and so we began searching right away; the quicker we found the DNA, the quicker we could leave.

Dean and I moved to the back of the room and began shifting through the shelves while Sam looked through the desks on the left of the room. Never in my life would I have pictured myself rummaging through an old office with two men I hardly knew.

I'd had doubts when entering Dean's apartment, very aware that I was walking into a foreign building with the two of them but for some reason my mind disregarded danger as a factor very quickly. Somehow I knew they wouldn't hurt me but my conscience kept advising me otherwise.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Dean pulled me down beside him as I tried to figure out where the voice came from. We were hidden behind a shelf and only after ducking my head, did I see a security guard shining a flash light at Sam.

I knew it. This _was _illegal.

"Nothing. I just-" Sam stammered.

"Come with me." The guard ordered before grabbing Sam's arm and escorting him out of the room. He shut the door behind them, leaving Dean and I alone. I felt really bad. Poor Sam was going to get into trouble with the cops and possibly face job termination when all he was trying to do was save lives.

"Come one." I pulled Dean out from behind the shelves and started looking around faster. I couldn't let Sam take the fall for this. Dean and I had to fix it. I rummaged through the drawers only to find old files and stationary. Dean didn't look like he was having much luck either.

Sitting on one of the desks were a pile of papers and buried beneath them was framed photo of the Sandover Bridge. I paused to look at it. There was a small exhibition on the twenty-second floor about the bridge which I happened to walk past every day. So did Dean. From memory, there was a pair of old, black leather gloves Sandover used to wear and they were displayed in a glass box amongst the exhibition.

Those gloves could easily have DNA lodged in there from the past.

"Dean." I called to him. He turned around and looked over at me.

"Did you find something?" he asked. I nodded.

"Call Sam and see if he can make it to twenty-two. I think I know what to do." I told him, heading for the door.

* * *

We were waiting for Sam in front of the gloves and my feet were killing me. Sam told us that the security guard had snapped in half after the elevator stopped and he tried to crawl out. For that reason we took the stairs and because of my high-heels, my feet were killing me. I was just glad I was in the pantsuit rather than the pencil skirt… that would have been extremely difficult to navigate with.

I heard Sam walking towards us and looked up to see his yellow shirt covered in blood. I felt nauseous at the amount and the way it had splattered. Dean turned around too and his eyes were glued to the blood like mine was.

"Whoa. That's a lot of blood." He remarked, clearly thrown off.

"Yeah, I know." Sam replied stopping next to us. I pried my eyes away from the red artwork on his shirt and back to the gloves.

"Right. So, uh, in there." I said pointing to the glass containing the pair of gloves.

"P. T. Sandover's gloves." Sam noted.

"Yeah, how much you wanna bet there's a little smidge of DNA in there? You know, like a fingernail clipping or a hair or two?" Dean told him.

"Something at least." I affirmed.

"So you ready?" Sam asked us. I was more than ready. I was excited.

"I have no idea." Dean breathed.

"Me neither." Sam raised an eyebrow as they looked to me.

"I feel too ready for this." I told them truthfully. They smirked and then bent down to pick a poker each. Sam handed me the salt, paused for a second and then handed me his poker.

"I feel you'll do better with that." He explained as he reached for a third poker. Any other day I'd disagree but I'd already demonstrated that I had hidden skills in the art of fighting, so who knew?

"Go for it." Sam told Dean as we stood ready.

"Right." Dean muttered. He jabbed the poker end into the glass, smashing it immediately. Sam took a deep breath but he and I both noticed the temperature drop in the room when his breath was visible. Out of nowhere, Sandover appeared behind Dean and flung him back into the wall.

I stepped back as Sandover moved past me and pushed Sam, sending him flying back into the opposite wall. I had to do something. I spun forward, the poker twisting along my arm like I was a professional and swung it through Sandover as he approached Sam with sparking fingers. Dean stood up, his expression of amazement mirroring mine.

"Oh. Nice." He breathed. "Seriously, where did you learn that?" he asked, sounding as impressed as I felt. Before I could answer, Sandover appeared behind Dean.

"Dean." Sam called before he threw the poker at him. Dean caught it, turned and swung through Sandover who disappeared again. This iron deal was working perfectly.

"Nice catch." I complimented.

"Right?" Dean replied happily. Sam stood up and went to pick the other poker up when Sandover appeared right in front of me. I didn't have time to react, he just sent me flying backwards. I hit the wall and slid to the ground as I saw Sam and Dean simultaneously hit Sandover with the pokers.

Then he appeared behind Dean who turned around and swung, dissipating him once again. This guy just wouldn't quit. I picked myself up just as Sandover appeared behind Sam.

"Sam!" I yelled. He spun around and swung the poker through him again. How long could this go on for? The old man appeared again, this time between Sam and Dean as I was walking towards them and he was faster. He threw Sam back and then Dean, in opposite directions. I ran forward and followed his trail to Dean, where Sandover was standing, with his fingers sparking.

I went to strike him but he spun around in record time and slammed my arm against the wall, making me drop the poker. He went to touch my face and I struggled as hard as I could but he was too strong. He was going to touch me with his strange, blue, sparking hand.

Suddenly, Sandover just lit right up and exploded in front of me. I stared at the clear air ahead of me in awe as I realized Sam must have burnt the gloves. He emerged from the corner smiling at the both of us.

"That was amazing." He exclaimed. Despite what had just happened, I began laughing.

"Right? Right?" Dean was just as happy as we were.

That made us a very creepy bunch.

* * *

Dean pulled a first-aid kit out of his desk and came to sit beside Sam. I sat in front of them on my chair

"I gotta tell you, I've never had so much fun in my life." Dean told us. I was concerned as to why I enjoyed it so much.

"Me neither." Sam smiled.

"Was a great workout too, wasn't it?" I added, touching my shoulder where the muscles were strained from swinging the poker.

"We should keep doing this." Sam said. I looked up at him and smiled. If only.

"I know." Dean chuckled while looking through the kit and finally emerging with gauze pads. He handed one to Sam and one to me, even though I wasn't bleeding.

"I mean it. There gotta be other ghosts out there. We could help a lot of people." Sam kept going and I had been under the impression he was joking until I saw his face.

"Right, we'd be like the Ghostfacers." Dean mocked, putting the gauze to the cut on his forehead.

"No, really. I mean, for real." Sam explained.

"What? Like, quit our jobs and hit the road?" I asked him disbelievingly.

"Exactly." He replied and I sat up straighter in my chair.

"How would we live?" Dean tried to pick at the flaws of Sam's absurd plan.

"Uh..." Sam looked for an answer.

"You gotta be kidding me. How would we get by? With stolen credit cards? Huh? Eating diner food drenched in saturated fats? Sharing a crap motel room every night?" Dean smiled at Sam. He was right. You needed to plan ahead and always know what to expect; that was the sensible way of living.

Although, there was something appealing about not knowing what would happen tomorrow.

"That's all just details." Sam disregarded Dean's comments.

"Details are everything. You don't wanna go fighting ghosts without any health insurance." Dean shot back. I nodded in agreement.

"With this supposed kind of lifestyle, we'd be getting flung into all kinds of places. How'd you pay the hospital bills?" I asked. There was a long silence as Sam looked away and Dean shook his head in amusement at Sam's enthusiasm.

"All right. Um. Confession." Sam said, looking at his shoes. That didn't sound good.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Remember those dreams I told you guys about, with the ghosts?" he asked. All too well.

"Yeah?" I replied cautiously hoping Sam hadn't fooled us into thinking he was normal when he'd actually lost the plot.

"I was fighting them." He admitted.

"Okay." Dean said, willing to listen.

"With you two." He continued. Right. Things had just gotten weird. "We were these, like, hunters, and we were friends. More like family, really. I mean, what if that's who we really are? I mean, you both saw us back there, working together. The ghost was scrambling people's brains. What if it scrambled ours?" Sam asked.

Like family. That's what he'd said. Family.

My barely controllable urge to hug them both… did it come from my craving for family. I already had two brothers though, so why did I have this connection with Sam and Dean.

Control.

"That's insane." Dean remarked as he stood up and walked to his window.

"Is it? Think about it for just one second. What if we think this is our life, but it's not?" Sam asked, genuinely contemplating the idea.

"Sam, the ghost is dead and we're still standing. I mean, I'm sorry, but-" I tried to explain.

"Look, all I know is this isn't who we're supposed to be." Sam said loudly as he stood up in frustration.

"No." Dean said sternly. "I'm Dean Smith, okay? Director of Sales and Marketing. I went to Stanford. My father's name is Bob, my mother's name is Ellen, and my sister's name is Jo."

Something kicked inside of me. _My sister's name is Jo_.

Bullshit.

I hated the sound of that. I hated that so much that my skin was tingling.

"When was the last time you talked to them? To any of them?" Sam turned to me. "Your brothers, when did you last speak to them?" he asked me. I didn't actually remember.

"Okay, you're upset. You're upset, you're confused-" Dean tried to calm him down.

"Yeah, 'cause I only moved here 'cause I just broke up with my fiancée, Madison. But I called her number and I got a damn animal hospital." Sam was upset, hell I was upset. I didn't care whether I was swearing or not, Sammy was hitting a nerve.

"Okay. What are you saying? Are you trying to say that my family isn't real? Huh? That we've been injected with fake memories? Come on." Dean scoffed.

"Yes." I said and both of them looked at me confused that I had switched sides. "Yes, something like that must've happened."

"What?" Dean asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

"You," I pointed at Dean. "do not have a sister named Jo." I said with certainty. Dean continued to look at me like I was high on something. "That much I know. You're sister… Not. Jo." I nodded like it would help my case. They weren't sure what to say to me after that but Dean continued to stare at me in such a way that confirmed we weren't exactly friends anymore.

"All I know is," Sam turned back to Dean. "I got this feeling in my gut. And I know—I know that deep down, you gotta be feeling it too. We're supposed to be something else. You're not just some prissy intern." He looked to me. "And you're not some corporate douchebag." He said to Dean. "This isn't you. I know you." He said firmly. "Both of you."

"Know me? You don't know me, pal." Dean said to Sam slowly. Poor Sam looked down like he was broken. Dean turned to me and faced me squarely. "I have a sister…" He said plainly. "…and her name is Jo." His words hit me hard. "You should both go." He said.

I picked up my bag and fought the clump in my throat as I followed Sam out the door. I felt as though I was leaving part of my soul behind in that room.

* * *

I arrived at work, as per usual, trying desperately to forget the events of the previous night. I made my way up to Dean's office in the usual attire, high-heels, blouse and pencil skirt. He was typing away when I knocked on the open door. He looked up at me and I noticed how tired he was. His gaze softened when he saw it was me and I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

"Come in." he said. I walked over to my desk and took a seat. I still had a lot of work to do so I buried myself in the files, not making any sort of contact with Dean even though it was killing me not to talk to him.

I wondered where Sam was.

After last night, he'd walked me out but we hadn't spoken the whole way down. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to say to him. There was a knock on the door; both Dean and I looked up to see Mr. Adler smiling at the doorway.

"Got a minute?" he asked Dean.

"Sure, of course." Dean replied. Mr. Adler looked to me and smiled.

"Miss Taylor, do you mind waiting outside for a moment?" he asked. "Take a break." He suggested. I nodded before standing up and walking outside. The door shut behind me and I sighed, waiting by Dean's office.

This wasn't right.

I took out my cell and called Sam, having kept his number from last night. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing, but whatever it was, I was doing it. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Alexis?" Sam asked. I smiled at his voice.

"Hey." I took a breath. "Does your offer still stand?" I asked him. Dean might not have wanted to… hunt, as Sam called it… but I did and if Dean wasn't going to help, then I was going with Sam. He chuckled from the other end.

"Yeah, it does." He replied. "You interested?" he asked me hopefully. I nodded, thinking he could see me.

"Yeah. I want to do it." I replied not believing what I was saying. "What… what about your job?" I asked him, still trying to figure out what I needed to do to get out of this internship. There was a silence.

"I quit ten minutes ago." Sam replied.

No way.

He quit his job? He was serious enough to quit his job!

"Seriously?" I was having trouble believing it.

"Oh yeah. I'm done with this." He replied. "What about you?" he asked. I looked up at Mr. Adler's shadow through the window. I didn't want to stay here and continue with my boring desk job. I was needed elsewhere.

"Count me in." I replied, happy with my decision. There was another silence. "Does this seem wrong without Dean?" I asked reluctantly, not wanting to bring up the harsh words from last night.

"For some reason it does, but what do you do? He doesn't want in." Sam pointed out. I wondered if I could convince Dean otherwise.

"Well, I have to collect my things so I'll give it another try before I leave. Maybe he'll change his mind?" I suggested.

"I guess. Just meet me out front in fifteen." He told me.

"Yeah, okay. I'm keeping you and the line." I told him, standing up straight.

"What? Why?" he asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Well if Dean won't listen to me, maybe he'll listen to you." I explained walking to the door and slowly turning the handle. I knew Dean and Mr. Adler were in a meeting but I didn't really care anymore. I opened the door and peeked through.

"…it's not who I'm supposed to be." Dean said. What was he talking about… his job? Would he come with us? Mr. Adler chuckled from his seat.

"What?" Dean asked as I finally stepped in, Sam still on the line.

"Dean, Dean, Dean. Finally." Mr. Adler said before standing up and pressing two fingers to Dean's forehead.

Everything changed.

My last name wasn't Taylor, it was Winchester.

I wasn't an intern and Dean wasn't a businessman. Judging by the look on his face, he was going through a similar realization. The first thing I felt was the stinging in my feet and tightness of my skirt around my waist.

"Sammy?" I asked over the phone wondering if he was going through the same thing Dean and I were.

"I'll be up in sec." he replied, less cheery and more like my brother. He felt it too. He knew the last few days hadn't been our reality.

"What the hell? Why am I wearing a tie? My God, am I hungry." Dean tried to get his bearings as I walked to Dean's side. My feet hurt every step of the way and my outfit was suffocating me.

"Jesus fucking Christ." I gasped as I pulled my heels off and slightly unzipped the skirt so I had room to breathe. Mr. Adler laughed at the two of us.

"Welcome back." He smiled. Dean stood up beside me as I held my heels in my hand.

"Wait. Did I—did I just get touched by—you're an angel, aren't you?" he asked pointing to Mr. Adler.

"I'm Zachariah." He replied, amused. Zachariah. This was the asshole that took Castiel from us. I wasn't exactly on great terms with Cas, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to be pissed at the prick that snatched him up and did God knows what to him for helping me out.

"Oh, great. That's all we need is another one of you guys." Dean said frustrated.

"I'm hardly another one, Dean. I'm Castiel's superior. Believe me, I had no interest in popping down here into one of these smelly things." He pointed to his body. "But after the unfortunate situation with Uriel, I felt it necessary to pay a visit. Get my ducks in a row." He smiled. Was the 'prick' gene hereditary to all angels?

"I am not one of your ducks." Dean growled as he stepped closer to Zachariah.

"Starting with your attitude." Zachariah said sternly. To hell with him.

"Attitude?" I asked with anger "I'd be a lot more receptive if you hadn't thrown us into this mess for the fun of it!" It felt so good to have a voice again after a week of being so damn timid and clean. I pointed to him using the pointy heel of my shoe. "You're an asshole. Capital A. Anytime you forget that, pay me a visit, I'll be happy to remind you exactly what kind of shit stain you are."

Zachariah strode up to me and I stepped back towards Dean.

"Watch your mouth." He ordered. Dean stepped up, taking the attention from me.

"Oh, so, what? This was all some sort of a lesson? Is that what you're telling me? Wow. Very creative." Dean scoffed.

"You should see my decoupage." Zachariah had a pretentious smirk on his face. You could see the disgust on Dean's face.

"Gross. No thank you." He replied. I rolled my eyes and elbowed him.

"It's a craft thing." I whispered to him.

"What?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the angel.

"Decoupage. It's arts and crafts." I explained through my teeth.

"Oh." He looked back at Zachariah. "So, what? We're just hallucinating all this? Is that it?" Dean asked. Zachariah began pacing slowly.

"Not at all. Real place, real haunting. Just plunked you in the middle without the benefit of your memories." He smiled again like this was a genius plan.

"Just to shake things up? Hm? So you guys can have fun watching us run around like ass clowns in monkey suits?" Dean yelled pointing to both mine and his attire.

"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter." Zachariah whipped out the motivational speech. "Not because your dad made you, not because God called you back from hell, but because it is what you are. And you love it. You'll find your way to it in the dark every single time and you're miserable without it." He explained.

"Hey." I growled at him, forcing him to look over at me. "I had no problem being a hunter so why the hell did I get sucked up into this?" I asked. Zachariah walked towards me at a menacing pace until finally he was close enough to make me uncomfortable.

"You need to learn a few lessons too." He said quietly.

"Yeah?" I scoffed. "Like what?" I challenged him to name a good reason for this whole set up.

"Control." He stated.

Oh. I had control. If I didn't, I'd be throwing merciless punches and the angel douche in front of me.

"You were in my head?" I asked through gritted teeth, remembering the numerous times 'control' popped into my head. He grinned at me.

"I did what I had to. You may think you know everything there is to know but I have news for you. Your impulsiveness will cost us in the war so learn to control yourself. Learn to think before you act or we'll be forced to teach you." He said through clenched teeth as he leaned closer.

Dean was suddenly between us, keeping the distance.

"Back off." He growled at Zachariah. I eased up at Dean's presence and wondered why Sam was taking so long.

"Dean, let's be real here. You're good at this. You'll be successful. You will stop it." Zachariah assured him. Is that what all this was about? Dean's doubts about the apocalypse? They had sent Zachariah here to keep Dean on track which just reminded me how important Dean was to them.

"Stop what? The apocalypse, huh? Lucifer? What? Be specific, man!" Dean yelled in anger.

"You'll do everything you're destined to do. All of it." Zachariah answered calmly. "But I know, I know. You're not strong enough. You're scared. You got daddy issues. You can't do it. Right?" he provoked Dean. I clenched my teeth, hating when mom or dad were dragged into the mix.

"Angel or not, I will stab you in your face." Dean threatened.

"All I'm saying is it's how you look at it. Most folks live and die without moving anything more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things." He explained. Dean turned his back to Zachariah and looked at me instead. I shook my head at the speech being given. "Save people, maybe even the world. All the while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women. This isn't a curse. It's a gift."

The door flew open and Sam walked in, visibly angry. He stopped when he saw Zachariah, who didn't even spare him a glance, and then looked over to me, wanting to know if Dean and I were alright.

"So for God's sakes, Dean, quit whining about it. Look around." Zachariah spread his arms wide as Dean turned to face him. "There are plenty of fates worse than yours. So are you with me?" he asked stepping closer to Dean. "You wanna go steam yourself another latte? Or are you ready to stand up and be who you really are?" he asked.

There was a silence.

I wasn't sure if Zachariah could read my mind at that moment but he coincidently disappeared right as I threw my shoe at his face. Dean flinched as the heel hit the wall.

"Fucktard." I breathed. Sam walked further into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Who the hell was that?" he asked the two of us. I pulled off my jacket and threw it on Dean's desk.

"That… was Zachariah." I said in annoyance. "And this…" I motioned to the office. "…was his idea." I told Sam.

"All to prove a point?" Sam asked. Dean nodded and rubbed a hand down his face.

"All to prove a point." He confirmed. We stood in silence for a moment, letting it sink in. Although we'd been angel puppets for the past few days, I was just happy knowing that Sam and Dean were in fact my brothers.

I had a twisted logic.

* * *

"Let's get out of here." I said as I threw my duffel in the trunk. I was back in jeans and a Tee which made me insanely happy. I looked to Sam and smiled. "I sure Dean's going to go into cardiac arrest if we don't feed him some 'saturated fats'." I teased. Sam grinned at me and Dean rolled his eyes as he shut the trunk. I walked forward and Sam looped his arm around my shoulder.

"We wouldn't wanna go fighting ghosts without any health insurance." Sam mocked Dean's previous statement. I laughed at Dean's sour expression.

"Shut up." He said getting into the car. I got in beside him, riding shotgun while Sam slid in the back. "Office jobs suck ass." He noted, starting the Impala. It roared to life and Dean grinned. "Oh baby, I missed you sweetheart."

"Seriously Dean, just marry her already." I chuckled, making myself comfortable for the drive.

"Someone's jealous." Sam flicked my hair from behind and I slapped his hand away. Dean was smiling as he pulled out of the lot and Sam was leaning forward, his head between ours.

"Speaking of jealousy…" Dean started and I groaned silently, "…you got pretty worked up about Jo." Dean said, glancing over at me. I couldn't help but feel irritated at the thought it. _'I have a sister…and her name is Jo.'_

They were both smirking at me like I was a little child throwing a hissy fit. I tried to save face.

"Can't let just anyone have the Winchester name." I pointed out. Sam laughed out loud and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Actually Lex, her name would have been Jo Smith." He corrected me. Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. I looked out my window instead, not wanting to face Sam and Dean's ridicule.

"Just admit you're upset at the thought of us upgrading… sister-wise." Dean teased. I spun my head in shock.

"Upgrade?" I asked; my mouth wide open in disbelief. My response only made them laugh harder. "Fine, you wanna play that game?" I asked them turning to Sam. "How'd you feel about Mike and Nathan?" I asked him. Sam slowly looked down and nodded in defeat. He hadn't liked me having brothers any more than I had liked Jo being Dean's sister.

"Touché." He murmured.

"Mike and Nathan?" Dean asked and I remembered that he didn't know about my fake family. I smiled at him.

"They were my supposed older brothers who raised me." I explained and I had the satisfaction of seeing a little irritation cross Dean's features.

"Please, I'd like to see anyone other than us, have the patience to handle you." Dean scoffed. I grinned at him from my seat.

"Someone getting jealous?" I asked and Dean glanced over at me before shaking his head and rolling his eyes at me.

"You're a nutcase." Sam remarked as he laid down in the back seat. Dean looked over at me and smirked before leaning his arm out. I scooted closer and he pulled me into a one armed hug, kissing the side of my head. I had been waiting for this moment, all freaking week.

"My nutcase." He said firmly before letting me go. I smiled from beside him.

"Yeah that's what I thought." I said to myself. "I think they got the names from Micah and Nathaniel." I added.

Micah and Nathaniel.

Anna!

I still hadn't told Sam and Dean about what had happened while Dean was in the cell with Alastair. Zachariah must have zapped us right out of the hospital and had never even given me a chance to explain.

Sam sat up. Both he and Dean looked over at me with uncertainty and I smiled. I finally had some good news for them.

"Actually guys… I have something to tell you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I didn't like writing such a action-less chapter but I thought there were things I could do with it so let me know what you thought. Again, I hated writing out of character...

Also, I had much more Sam in this chapter to make up for the last one. I haven't written too much as Sam but that's not what I'd intended. Sam's part in this story is equal to Dean's so don't worry Sam lovers... he'll be there too!

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

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**Review Response**

**Jasmine** - Thanks so much! I'm glad you like protective Lex, there'll be plenty more of that :)

**Guest - **The bruises... soon my friend, soon. Thank-you for thinking I did the episode justice.. it was a really intense one so your comments mean a lot! And I'm sorry there wasn't as much Sam as we'd all like but I'm happy to see the short paragraph worked :) And thanks, I'm working on the one-shots too :P

Feel free to message me anytime :)

**REVIEW BELOW xx**

Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	19. Chapter 19 - The Monster At The End

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! I'm SO sorry for the delay, I had a crazy last few weeks. You know that time in the middle of semester when all your subjects have assessments in the one week? Yeah, that was last week for me and then I had my birthday on the 14th! So, I was preoccupied with all that but now I've got the new chapter up!

Also, in celebration of my 100th review (OMG), I've written the one-shot **Alexis Winchester - What Is And Should Never Be.** Please check it out and let me know what you think! The one-shot is dedicated to sammygrrl00, who requested it - Thank-you so much for your support and advice over the past few months, it means so much to me.

**Note: **I just want to thank everyone who follows, favorites, reads and reviews this story. Your support and especially your reviews is what keeps me so motivated to keep writing. Thank you so much for taking the time out! You guys bring me so much joy :D

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Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, Liz H, Jasmine, Guest, Deany-Elle, I. Holmes, shmiley, Guest, Secret admirer, maipigen and Saranghaedeathnote. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 19 – The Monster At The End Of This Book**

I strolled around the comic book store silently, biting into my apple. I was mad. Sam and I had reached an impasse over the past few days. Turns out, he was willing to believe everything I had to say about Uriel going dark side and Lilith wanting to eat my heart for dinner but he still didn't believe Ruby had any part in the whole deal. It was my word against hers and he believed her.

God, I hated her so much. I hated Sam too at the moment. It took Dean a grand total of two seconds to believe me but now he was stuck in the middle of Sam and my fight. He didn't trust Ruby either but neither Dean nor I were willing to turn our backs on Sam.

I looked up as Sam and Dean entered the store in their FBI suits. I avoided any and all eye contact with Sam, instead picking up the latest issue of 'Spiderman' and flipping through. We were investigating a possible ghost problem and I was just dying to physically fight something to relieve all the pent up anger inside. They walked up to counter and the bald clerk, clearly the geeky type looked up at them.

"Uh... can I help you?" he asked adjusting his glasses.

"Sure hope so. Agents DeYoung and Shaw. Just need to ask you a few questions." Dean replied flashing his fake FBI badge.

"Notice anything strange in the building, last couple of days?" Sam asked and I moved a little closer so I could hear clearer.

"Like what?" the guy asked as I took another bite of my apple. The noise scared a pale little boy just ahead of me and he stepped further away from me.

"Well, some other tenants reported flickering lights." Dean explained.

"Uh, I don't think so. Why?" the guy asked again. He didn't seem of any use to me and I was ready to bail until he glanced between the boys to look at me with a quizzical impression. Maybe it was because I was eating the apple in such close proximity to his comic books.

"What about noises? Any skittering in the walls? Kind of like rats?" Sam asked him. I looked around for a trash can and found one near the door.

"And the FBI is investigating a rodent problem?" the guy asked, his eyes following me.

"What about cold spots? Feel any sudden drops in temperature?" Sam asked, ignoring his question. The guy looked back to Sam and Dean with a grin on his face.

"I knew it! You guys are LARPing, aren't you?" he exclaimed happily. I threw the apple away and watched his excitement.

"Excuse me?" Dean asked, equally as confused as I was.

"You're fans." He replied like they should have known what he was talking about.

"Fans of what?" Sam asked.

"What is 'LARPing'?" Dean added. I kept my distance not wanting to blow their cover.

"Like you don't know." The guy smiled at Sam and Dean's confused faces. "Live-Action Role-Play! And pretty hardcore, too." He added pointing to their suits. He looked over at me and winked which just threw me completely off. Was he on to us?

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." Dean told him diplomatically.

"You're asking questions like the building's haunted. Like those guys from the books. What are they called? Uh... 'Supernatural.'" He looked up at Dean in triumph. What was he talking about? What books? "Two guys and their sister, use fake IDs with rock aliases, hunt down ghosts, demons, vampires. What are their names? Uh... Steve and Dirk? Uh, Sal and Dane?" he struggled with remembering. This couldn't be happening.

"Sam and Dean?" Sam asked him skeptically. Please don't say 'yes'.

"That's it!" he pointed a finger at them. "And don't think I forgot about you." He called out to me, leaning to the right so he could see me past Sam. "The hot younger sister, what's her name?" he scratched his head. Sam and Dean cast me a glance, equally surprised this guy had spotted me as part of the fake FBI entourage.

"Lex?" Sam asked as I walked to the counter. He shook his head.

"No, I'm pretty sure it started with an 'A'." he informed us. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity.

"Alexis?" I asked clearly and his head shot up.

"Yeah, Alexis!" he grinned at me. "Awesome signature curls by the way." He pointed to my hair and I instinctively touched them like he might steal it from me. He leaned a little closer towards us. "You've really got her look down pat." He smiled at me.

"You're saying this is a book?" I asked him, ignoring his attempts to flatter me. There were more important matters to be take care of at the moment.

"Books. It was a series." He corrected. "Didn't sell a lot of copies, though. Kind of had more of an underground cult following." He explained. A series… written about our lives? How legit was this whole thing? He stood up and walked over to a display table labeled 'Bargain Bin'; I guess it wasn't that popular of a series which was a good thing for us if by some crazy chance, it was the tinniest bit accurate. Perhaps it was written by someone we saved and they were making money off our profession.

"Let's see. Um..." he shifted through the books and grabbed one. "Ah. Yeah" he handed it to Dean. "That's the first one, I think."

"'Supernatural' by Carver Edlund." Dean read the front cover. The illustrations were ridiculous. There was one guy, presumably Dean with his shorter hair, wearing a singlet so you could see his biceps, holding a large packet of rock salt on his shoulder. The other guy was topless, with a defined six-pack, his long blonde hair whipping in the wind and he was carrying a shotgun. Then finally there was the girl with an excessive mop of dark curls and a cropped top so you could see her stomach. She was carrying a silver gun and all three of them were standing next to the impala and in front of what looked like a haunted house. Dean flipped the book over and read from the blurb.

"Along a lonely California highway, a mysterious woman in white lures men to their deaths." Dean looked up at the both of us. Holy shit.

"Gimme that." Sam said, grabbing the book. I looked up at Dean, not understanding how this was possible and given his expression, he was facing the same dilemma in his head. Sam looked to the guy, who was watching us and smiling like we were putting on a show for him.

"We're gonna need all the copies of 'Supernatural' you've got." Sam told him. The guy nodded.

"Okay, sure. I'll see what I can dig up." He turned towards the back of the store but then spun around to face me again, stopping me in my tracks. "Um… seeing as you are a fellow LARPer," he looked down at me with a shy smile, "would you be interested in joining me in a game of dungeons and dragons later?" he asked. I had no idea what 'dungeons and dragons' even encompassed but Dean must have because the decision was made for me.

"No, she would not." He replied stepping ahead of me and giving the guy a pointed look. "The books?" he prompted. The guy grinned at Dean in an uneasy way.

"Classic protective Dean." He said, walking to the back of the store. "I love it!"

* * *

We had seen a lot of crazy things in our time but I was stumped as to how an author that had never met us; somehow knew every nook and cranny of our lives. This guy had written everything… and I mean everything starting with when we picked Sam up from Stanford to Dean going to hell. And it wasn't just what we did… it was what we were thinking as events unfolded… my thoughts were on paper, ready for the world to see.

I flipped through 'Heart', the book describing the werewolf hunt with Madison. It was nice to read about a time when Sam was attracted to a normal girl and not Ruby. Dean was lying on the other bed, flipping through 'Route 666' reliving his moments with Cassie while Sam sat at the table, researching as usual.

"This is freakin' insane. How's this guy know all this stuff?" Dean asked.

"You got me." Sam replied. I kept reading and came to a sudden stop when I realized Sam and Madison were about to do the dirty. I shut the book quickly, not even wanting to catch a glimpse of the remaining story.

"Everything is in here. I mean everything. From the racist truck to – to me having sex. I'm full-frontal in here, dude." Dean informed us and I gagged. I stood up and grabbed the book right out of his hand and walked over to the trash.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked from his seat. I dropped 'Heart' and 'Route 666' into the trash, pulled out my lighter and set the trash's contents on fire.

"Saving myself from future therapy." I replied.

"How come we haven't heard of them before?" Dean asked standing up and walking over to Sam.

"They're pretty obscure." Sam replied, reading off the laptop. I let the books burn and made my way over as Sam continued. "I mean, almost zero circulation. Uh, started in '05. The publisher put out a couple dozen before going bankrupt. And, uh, the last one, 'No Rest For The Wicked'," he turned the laptop so we could see. "Ends with you going to hell." He directed at Dean.

The website was for the 'Supernatural' books; it had all the titles, summaries, discussion boards, images and believe it or not… fans.

"I reiterate. Freaking insane." Dean muttered as I sat beside him.

"This is crazy… there are fans?" I asked, amazed that people enjoyed reading about our lives.

"There's not many of them, but still." Dean nodded, a little impressed.

"Did you read this?" I asked Sam, pushing aside any anger I felt towards him at the moment.

"Yeah." He replied, watching me… studying me like he might be able to fix the hate I had for his unofficial demon girlfriend.

"Although for fans, they sure do complain a lot." Dean pointed out, looking closer at the screen. "Listen to this – Simpatico says 'the demon story line is trite, clichéd, and overall craptastic.' Yeah, well, screw you, Simpatico. We lived it." Dean said to no one in particular. I pulled the laptop from him and began reading, a little pissed off that these people who didn't even know us thought they had a right to comment on our lives.

"Yeah. Well, keep on reading. It gets better." Sam leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"There are 'Sam girls' and 'Dean girls'" I looked over at Sam. "What's a 'slash fan'?" I asked not liking the look on his face.

"As in... Sam-slash-Dean." He answered, his face scrunched. "Together." Oh gross... there was nothing wrong with homosexuality but incest?

"Like, together-together?" Dean asked, disbelief evident on his face.

"Yeah." Sam replied equally unimpressed. What about me… they didn't pair me up with my brothers, right? I mean, they wouldn't do that, would they?

"They do know we're brothers, right?" Dean asked, sure that the fans were misinformed about the key aspects of our lives.

"Doesn't seem to matter." Sam replied.

"Lex lovers?" I raised an eyebrow, impressed. "There are all kinds of groups!" I kept scrolling. "Lex and Ru-" my head shot up as I read it. Sam offered a small smile. No, I refused to believe that fans of the 'Supernatural' series had written erotic lesbian stories about me with… Ruby.

"They like together… doesn't matter if it's siblings… doesn't matter if it's monsters… doesn't even matter if it's a group thing." He glanced between Dean and I.

"Oh, come on. That... That's just sick." Dean complained, shutting the laptop in disgust. I gagged, knowing I was mentally scarred for life all thanks to this Carver Edlund.

"We got to find this Carver Edlund." I stated, already planning on the most painful way to end his sorry little life.

"Yeah, that might not be so easy." Sam took his laptop back. Oh, I was going to find this guy, even if it was the last thing I ever did.

"Why not?" Dean demanded, his determination to pop a few bullets in this guy, mirroring mine.

"No tax records, no known address. Looks like 'Carver Edlund' is a pen name." Sam replied. I stood up and walked to the kitchen.

"Somebody's gotta know who he is." Dean pointed out as I reached for my water bottle.

"Oh, I'm sure somebody knows." I said unscrewing the cap. "Carver Edlund wants to play hard to get… that's fine." I took a sip of water. "I'll show him a whole new side to foreplay."

* * *

"So you published the "Supernatural" books?" Sam asked. We had decided to meet with the publisher of 'Supernatural' series; a young, fairly attractive woman with a streak of blonde in her brown cropped hair; so we could pull Carver Edlund's real name. Her office was decorated with 'Supernatural' posters, books and other fan-like items. She seemed eager to discuss the book but at the same time I sensed a little reluctance, almost as if she wasn't sure we were real fans of the books.

"Yep. Yeah. Gosh. These books..." she walked over to her collection and I moved out of her way. "You know, they never really got the attention they deserved. All anybody wants to read anymore is that romance crap." She turned to face us and I nodded in agreement. "You know…'Doctor Sexy, M.D.'?" she scoffed. "Please." Sam glanced over at Dean and I, before continuing.

"Right. Well, we're hoping that our article can... shine a light on an underappreciated series." Sam played into the woman's desire and she melted like butter.

"Yeah, yeah, because, you know, if we got a little bit of good press then m-maybe we could start publishing again." She said enthusiastically. That was really the last thing we needed.

"No, no, no, no. God, no." Dean blurted out and the woman frowned a little. "I mean, why – why would you want to do that?" Dean walked forward. "You know, it's, uh, such a complete series, what with Dean going to hell and all." He saved himself quickly and I smirked a little.

"Oh, my god!" she replied emotionally like she was actually part of our story. "That was one of my favorite ones, because Dean was so... strong... and sad and brave. You know, and Alexis couldn't protect him, no matter how hard she tried," I felt my heart drop a little as she said it and I noticed Dean's shoulders tense. "And Sam... I mean, the best parts are when they'd cry. You know, like in – In 'Heart', when Sam had to kill Madison, the first 'woman since Jessica he really loved." I looked over at Sam with wide eyes, shocked that this woman was so involved. "And in 'Home', when Dean had to call John and ask him for help." Dean mouthed something, clearly just as irritated as me, that everyone else knew so much about us . She turned away with tears in her eyes. "Gosh... if only real men were so open and in touch with their feelings."

"Real men?" Dean asked. Both he and Sam were watching this woman with slightly offended expressions.

"I mean, no offense." She turned back to us. "How often do you cry like that, hmm?" she asked them. I would have laughed if I wasn't so pissed off. This was my life that other people were indulging themselves in.

"Well, right now, I'm crying on the inside." Dean replied, mostly to himself.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" she asked, deciding whether she should be offended or not.

"Lady, this whole thing is funny." Dean shot back.

"How do I know you guys are legit, hmm?" she asked pointing towards us as she walked around her desk and took a seat.

"Oh, trust me. We're as legit as they come." I replied, moving forward.

"Well, I don't want any smart-ass article making fun of Lex or my boys." She raised her eyebrows, stark bitchiness in her words. She was serious about this series.

"No! No, no, no. Never." Sam stammered. I was kind of happy that at least the fans were loyal and defensive of the story like this woman rather than the alternative.

"No, that's..." Dean started.

"We – We are actually, um... big fans." I announced, feeling like a complete douche-bag for claiming I was a fan of my own life.

"Hmm. You've read the books?" she asked us with skepticism. This lady didn't know what she was in for.

"Cover to cover." Dean replied.

"Um-hmm." Sam agreed and I waited for her response.

"What's the year and model of the car?" she asked seriously. Easy.

"It's a 1967 Chevy Impala." Dean answered, smiling proudly.

"What's May 2nd?" she asked without missing a beat. Yikes, um, Sam's birthday.

"That's my – Uh..." Sam paused, "that's Sam's birthday." He corrected himself.

"January 24th is Dean's." Dean added and nudged him.

"John's nickname for Alexis?" she asked.

"Angel." I replied, forgetting that was in the books.

"Dean's nickname for Alexis?" she asked and Dean grinned beside me.

"Ankle-biter." He replied smugly.

"Sam's score on the LSAT?" she queried. Even I didn't remember this one. Dean and I both looked to Sam who was accessing some deep part of his mind, trying to remember the three digit number.

"One..." he looked at us, at a loss. "Seventy-four?" he half asked.

"Lex's favorite weapon?" she crossed her arms over her chest expectantly.

"Two iron daggers and her silver-chrome plaited hand gun." I answered confidently.

"Dean's favorite song?" she asked softer, finally becoming a little more convinced. Dean smirked, knowing the question was an easy one.

"It's a tie. Between Zep's 'Ramble On' and 'Traveling Riverside Blues.'" He replied. She seemed very pleased with our answers. She giggled and swiveled lightly in her hair.

"Okay. Okay. What do you want to know?" she asked happily.

"What's Carver Edlund's real name?" Sam asked, wasting no time. She began shaking her head, quickly becoming flustered.

"Oh, no. I – No. Sorry, I can't do that." She answered looking down at her desk. We were going to get a name out of her before we left… that much I was sure of.

"We just want to talk to him. You know, get the 'Supernatural' story in his own words." Sam reasoned with her.

"He's very private. It's like Salinger." She explained. I was never a fan of 'Catcher in the Rye' so I really felt no sympathy for 'Carver Edlund'.

"Please. Like I said – we are, um..." Sam began unbuttoning his shirt and both Dean and I just stared at him, confused. He pulled his shirt to the side, cringing a little, as he revealed his demon-protection tattoo. When I glanced back at the publisher, her lustful expression said it all. "... big... big fans." Sam finished. I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched Sam glare at Dean, followed by Dean rolling his eyes and revealing his own tattoo. The woman licked her lips before looking over at me expectantly. I didn't move, refusing to prove my right over my own life story.

"It's on my ankle." I muttered. She smiled and nodded.

"Just like Alexis…. awesome. You know what?" she stood up and pulled down her pants revealing her bare ass. She had the same tattoo on her right butt cheek. "I got one, too."

"Whoa. You are a fan." Dean smiled goofily and Sam looked a little uncomfortable.

"Okay." She scribbled something down on a pad of paper. "His name's Chuck Shurley. And he's a genius, so don't piss him off." She informed us, handing Dean the slip of paper.

"Thank-you." Sam said as we moved towards the door.

"Just a word of advice." She added, looking at me. I nodded, allowing her to continue. "I don't think Lex would wear such a restricting jacket." She pointed at my tan leather jacket, assuming we were 'LARP-ing' too. "I mean, I know you can't fight like she can but if you're trying to mimic her look…" I grit my teeth.

"Thanks, she'll keep that in mind." Dean said, grabbing my arm and pulling me alongside of him before I annihilated the publisher. Chuck Shurley was about to get the surprise of his life.

* * *

Dean pulled up to the old, rundown house and I got out of the car before he had parked.

"Hey!" he yelled, hurriedly putting the Impala into park and getting out in time to grab the back of my jacket. "Where's the fire?" he asked, not letting me go. Sam got out of the car too and watched us.

"I just want to see who this guy is." I replied, my attention solely on the house.

"Yeah, we know, just do us a favor and don't kill the guy before we have time to interrogate him." Dean told me, locking the car.

"I'm not mad." I lied, looking between them. Dean kept a hold of my jacket and manhandled me around the car.

"You're lying." Sam said as he fell in stride beside us. I shot him an evil glare.

"Ruby-lover." I shot at him, making no attempt to hide exactly why I was mad at him. I shoved Dean off and went to jog up the stairs and push the doorbell. Dean pulled me back, once again, and pushed me behind him.

"I will lock you in the car." He threatened me. Maybe I did need a little more self-control. I took a deep breath and let the boys walk ahead, to the door. Dean rang the door-bell and we waited about three seconds before the door opened. The man behind the door, presumably Chuck Shurley, was your typical writer. He had a scrounged beard, tired eyes and was wearing boxers and a dirty singlet with a robe. Seeing him made me want to take a shower.

"You Chuck Shurley?" Dean asked.

"The Chuck Shurley who wrote the 'Supernatural' books?" Sam added. The guy squinted a little, almost as if he hadn't seen the light of day in a few days.

"Maybe. Why?" he asked cautiously.

"I'm Dean. This is Sam and Alexis." Dean pointed over at us. "The Dean, Sam and Alexis you've been writing about." He stated. Chuck smiled a little and then shut the door in our faces. That irritation crept up on me again. Dean rang the door-bell again and Chuck opened the door… again.

"Look, uh... I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really, I do. It's, uh, it's always nice to hear from the fans. But, uh, for your own good, I strongly suggest you get a life." He tried to shut the door but Dean, finally fed up with the guy, stuck his hand out, stopping him from doing so.

"See, here's the thing. We have a life. You've been using it to write your books." Dean said in a low voice. He shoved the door open and walked in, Sam and I close behind, forcing Chuck to back up into his own house.

"Now, wait a minute. Now, this isn't funny." Chuck put his hands up as he stumbled backwards.

"Damn straight, it's not funny." Dean shot back.

"Look, we just want to know how you're doing it." Sam explained.

"I'm not doing anything." Chuck stumbled over his words.

"Are you a hunter?" I asked him, stepping ahead of Dean.

"What?" Chuck breathed uneasily. "No. I'm a writer." He assured us. That didn't make any sense.

"Then how do you know so much about demons?" I asked walking towards Chuck. He walked backwards until his legs hit the couch and fell back onto it. "And Tulpas, and changelings?" I questioned.

"Is this some kind of 'Misery' thing? Ah, it is, isn't it? It's a 'Misery' thing!" Chuck cried out. I rolled my eyes and Dean glared at Chuck.

"No, it's not a 'Misery' thing. Believe me, we are not fans!" Dean told him forcefully.

"Well, then, what do you want?!" Chuck asked, still sprawled on the couch.

"I'm Sam. She's Alexis and that's Dean." Sam explained once again.

"Alexis, Sam and Dean are fictional characters. I made them up! They're not real!" Chuck exclaimed. I grabbed him by his robe and hauled him up… he wasn't too heavy.

"Do I look made up to you, dick-bag?" I growled at him. I was very close to pulling out my gun…

* * *

Dean opened the trunk, and then the false bottom, revealing our arsenal which I was way too proud of for my own good.

"Are those real guns?" Chuck asked, shock evident on his face. This guy was way in over his head.

"Yup. This is real rock salt, these are real fake IDs." I replied, pointing them out to him. I lifted my jacket and revealed my holster with my gun and two daggers. "All of it."

"Well, I got to hand it to you guys. You really are my number one fans." Chuck said nervously as he glanced back down at the gun. "That's, that's awesome. So, I-I think I've got some posters in the house." He backed away from us and towards his house again, about to make a run for it.

"Chuck, stop." Dean ordered. Chuck put his hands up in defense as Sam and Dean towered over him.

"Please. Wait. Please, don't hurt me." He begged.

"How much do you know?" Sam asked. "Do you know about the angels? Or Lilith breaking the seals?" Chuck genuinely looked shocked now.

"Wait a minute. How do you know about that?" he asked us and it annoyed me that he thought out life was more his property than it was ours.

"The question is how do you?" Dean asked.

"Because I wrote it?" Chuck replied like it was the obvious answer. Wait, this guy knew about what happened after Dean's time in hell?

"You kept writing?" I asked.

"Yeah, even after the publisher went bankrupt, but those books never came out." Chuck pointed out. We stayed silent, not sure how else to prove we were who we were. Chuck laughed quietly. "Okay, wait a minute. This is some kind of joke, right? Did that – Did Phil put you up to this?" he asked. I sighed in frustration.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Dean Winchester, this is my brother, Sam and my sister Alexis." Dean said for the last time. Chuck glanced between our faces in confusion.

"The last names were never in the books. I never told anybody about that. I never even wrote that down." He admitted. I guess we finally had a way in.

* * *

Chuck poured himself a large glass of whiskey and gulped it down. He didn't seem to know he was writing about our lives which made me hate him less but that was as much progress as I'd made. I sat in chair, with me feet up, watching Chuck freak out little by little. I had been mulling over how I could use Chuck's knowledge to my advantage and after a little thought, I really wanted to ask him about Ruby. If he had seen everything, he could prove that Ruby was bad news and then I'd be able to kill her.

"Oh! Oh, you're still there." Chuck exclaimed as he turned around and saw us again.

"Yup." Dean replied from the wall beside me.

"You're not a hallucination." Chuck asked.

"Nope." Dean confirmed. Chuck took a deep breath.

"Well, there's only one explanation. Obviously I'm a god." He stated. Oh, Jesus. Dean rolled his eyes and I shook my head.

"You're not a god." Sam stated, slightly amused.

"How else do you explain it? I write things and then they come to life. Yeah, no, I'm definitely a god. A cruel, cruel, capricious god. The things I put you through – The physical beatings alone." He looked over at me. "I beat up a little girl." He said tragically.

"Yeah, we're still in one piece." Dean said, none of liking the fact we were revisiting the past.

"I killed your father. I burned your mother alive." He added. This was a sensitive topic and my advice to Chuck would have been 'shut up' but it looked like Dean was going to do that soon anyway. "And then you had to go through the whole horrific deal again with Jessica." Oh, he really needed to shut up.

"Chuck..." Sam said uncomfortably.

"All for what?" he continued. "All for the sake of literary symmetry. I toyed with your lives, your emotions, for... entertainment."

"You didn't toy with us, Chuck, okay? You didn't create us." Dean stated walking forward.

"Did you really have to live through the bugs?" he asked us. I nodded.

"Yeah." I replied.

"What about the ghost ship?" he pried. I kind of missed Bela at the mention of the ghost ship.

"Yes, that too." Dean replied to Chuck's endless questions.

"I am so sorry. I mean, horror is one thing, but to be forced to live bad writing... if I would have known it was real, I would have done another pass." He apologized sincerely.

"Chuck, you're not a god!" Dean told him again, irritated.

"We think you're probably just psychic." Sam explained, pushing himself off the chair he was leaning on.

"No. If I were psychic, you think I'd be writing? Writing is hard." He took a seat at his desk.

"It seems that somehow, you're just... focused on our lives." Sam continued.

"Yeah, like laser-focused." I added. "Whoopty-fucking-do." I murmured, playing with the buttons on my jacket.

"Fiery passion, untamable soul." Chuck whispered and my head shot up. What the fuck was he on about? He was looking at me in awe.

"What?" I asked, looking to Sam and Dean who were equally confused. Chuck broke out of his trance and looked between us.

"Um, just… originally it was meant to be only Sam and Dean. You know, brothers… wayward sons ect." Sam narrowed his eyes at Chuck who looked nervously back at me, trying to explain the situation. "…and then I added my perfect counterpart to the story… Alexis." I didn't know if I should have been offended I wasn't originally part of the story or flattered that in some way I was perfect to Chuck.

"What do you mean 'perfect counterpart'?" Dean asked dangerously.

"Well, I mean, she's everything I can't be." He explained, as Dean crossed his arms. "Strong, confident, passionate, loyal… my foul mouthed beauty." He said quietly. "You were never supposed to be in the story but I so badly wanted you in there." He added. This wasn't the first time I'd been told I wasn't supposed to exist; Alastair's words were still in the back of my mind. "I never thought I'd meet anyone like you." He admitted and Sam cleared his throat. That wasn't creepy at all.

"You wrote me as your personal Mary-Sue?" I asked, the anger building up within me. I wasn't some grungy writer's plaything!

"Okay, the love profession can wait, Chuck." Sam pointed out.

"Are you working on anything right now?" Dean asked him, all of us trying to ignore that fact that once again… I was being told I was never meant to be a part of Sam and Dean's lives.

"Holy crap." Chuck said, a look of realization crossing his face.

"What?" Sam asked. Chuck picked up the pages on his desk; evidently story pages.

"The, uh, latest book? It's, uh, it's kind of weird." He said quietly.

"Weird how?" Sam asked. I didn't like the look on Chuck's face.

"It's very Vonnegut." He admitted. He really was the worst writer I'd ever met if he wrote himself in. Dean leaned down towards him.

"'Slaughterhouse-Five' Vonnegut or 'Cat's Cradle' Vonnegut?" He asked intently.

"What?" Sam asked surprised Dean knew about Vonnegut. I would have been too if Dean and I hadn't watched the documentary years ago.

"What?" Dean asked defensively, defending his intellect.

"It's, uh, 'Kilgore Trout' Vonnegut. I wrote myself into it. I wrote myself, at my house... confronted by my characters." Chuck admitted. This shit was just getting better and better.

* * *

I sat with my back to Dean, flicking my switch blade in my hand. How was Chuck doing this?

"I'm sitting in a laundromat, reading about myself sitting in a laundromat reading about myself. My head hurts." Dean said from behind me. He had taken a copy of Chuck's manuscript and was reading through it while Sam did his laundry.

"There's got to be something this guy's not telling us." Sam said, turning towards the washing machine. He threw his clothes in as Dean continued reading.

"'Sam tossed his gigantic darks into the machine. He was starting to have doubts about Chuck, about whether he was telling the whole truth.'" Dean read off the page. Sam turned around, frustrated.

"Stop it." Sam told him. I flicked the blade again, increasing the speed.

"''Stop it,' Sam said.' Guess what you do next." Dean raised his eyebrows as Sam turned away, scowling.

"'Sam turned his back on Dean, his face brooding and pensive.' I mean, I don't know how he's doing it, but this guy is doing it. I can't see your face, but those are definitely your 'brooding and pensive' shoulders." Dean pointed out. Sam sighed, exasperated and Dean looked down at the manuscript. "You just thought I was a dick." Dean looked up hurt. Maybe Chuck was a time traveler? Sam turned around looking impressed.

"The guy's good." He admitted and Dean's face fell at Sam's confession. He looked back at the script.

"'Alexis sat silently behind Dean, slightly worried about Chuck's revelation. Why did everyone keep telling her she wasn't supposed to exist; that she wasn't supposed to be in Sam and Dean's life? Was she really not supposed to be here? She twisted the bl-" Dean stopped reading and turned around to see the blade flicking in full motion between my fingers. He grabbed it out of my hand and stowed it in his jacket with disapproval.

"In a Laundromat, Lex?" he sighed. "Is this what you're thinking?" he asked me. Sam turned on the machine and watched me, waiting for my answer.

"Aren't you?" I asked, standing up and heading towards the door. I walked outside and followed the footpath, upset at this whole situation. Did I really force myself into my brother's lives? Was I even supposed to be their family?

"Hey!" I heard Dean call from behind me. I kept walking, knowing he'd catch up. "Lex." He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. I looked up at him and he saw it in my face that this was hurting me… as much as I hated to admit. "You're not taking him seriously, are you?" Dean asked me, referring to Chuck. The guy was a psychic; I had to take him seriously.

"Yeah, I am." I answered.

"Lex." Dean said firmly. "He's just another guy that likes you and it's no surprise that he does. Trust me, Sam and I have been dealing with this for years… he's just trying to flatter you."

"How are you so sure?" I asked him and he smiled at me.

"Lex… he's psychic." He informed me. "The guy can't decide whether or not to include you in the story. You're just a… an appealing person to be around and he thought that you existing… was his wish come true. He's got nothing." I didn't say anything, contemplating Dean's explanation. "He called you his 'foul-mouthed beauty'." Dean added, smirking.

"You're saying it's just him crushing on me?" I asked.

"That, or he's actually lost his mind." Dean nodded. What did Chuck really mean when he said I wasn't supposed to be in the story? How did he even know that to begin with? Was that his goal… to try and make me feel grateful that he had written me in? Dean said it was a crush but I still had my doubts. I put my hands in my pockets and sighed. "Give me a couple of minutes." I told him.

"Okay," he nodded, "walk it off." He said turning around and walking back to the Laundromat. "Just remember; I know what the plays are." He called over his shoulder. I didn't doubt that he did.

* * *

Chuck paced between us nervously with the manuscript in his hand. We had gotten a call from him soon after, telling us to pay him a visit. Apparently it was very important.

"So... You wrote another chapter?" Sam asked him.

"This was all so much easier before you were real." Chuck admitted.

"We can take it; just spit it out." Dean said kindly, picking up that Chuck was frightened by loud noises.

"You especially are not gonna like this." Chuck directed at Dean. What… shortage of women and beer?

"I didn't like hell." Dean pointed out and Chuck took a deep breath. I sat on the couch, waiting expectantly.

"It's Lilith." He announced. I sat up straighter, not believing my ears. "She's coming for Sam." He added. Dread filled Dean's features.

"Coming to kill him?" Dean asked, glancing between Sam and I.

"When?" Sam asked, almost excited at the prospect.

"Tonight." Chuck replied, glancing at Sam. Dean noticed his expression too and he didn't like it any more than I did. Sam wanted to do something stupid.

"She's just gonna show up? Here?" Dean asked. Lilith hadn't made contact with us in ages… apart from my brief trip… this all seemed anti-climatic. Chuck came to sit beside me and I got up, moving next to Sam instead. Chuck put on his glasses and read from his manuscript.

"Uh... let's see, uh," he said, browsing through. "'Lilith patted the bed seductively. Unable to deny his desire, Sam succumbed, and they sank into the throes of fiery demonic passion.'" He read.

Was he trying to say that Sam was going to have sex with Lilith? The sad part of that was… after Ruby… it seemed like something Sam was capable of doing.

"You're kidding me, right?" Sam laughed.

"You think this is funny?" Dean asked him. He was taking this very seriously as should have Sam. Chuck hadn't been wrong yet.

"You don't? I mean, come on. 'Fiery demonic passion'?" Sam scoffed at Chuck's writing.

"It's just a first draft." Chuck defended timidly.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Lilith is a little girl." Dean pointed out. I shook my head at him.

"No, she's not." I reminded him that I'd already seen her in her new body.

"Yeah, uh, this time she's a 'comely dental hygienist from Bloomington, Indiana.'" Chuck confirmed.

"Great. Perfect." Dean glanced at Sam. "So what happens after the... 'fiery demonic' whatever?" he asked Chuck.

"I don't know, it hasn't come to me yet." Chuck replied from the couch.

"Dean, look, there's nothing to worry about. Lilith and me? In bed?" Sam seemed so skeptical of the whole thing and a little offended that Dean was taking this seriously.

"Yeah, Sam. Whatever would give us that idea?" I said from beside him and he glared at me. "I mean you being in cahoots with a demon? Unimaginable isn't it?" I shot back at him, daring him to speak. "How does this whole psychic thing of yours work?" I asked Chuck.

"You mean my process?" he asked me. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yes, your 'process.'" I answered.

"Well, it usually starts with a headache. A really bad headache. Aspirin is useless, so... I drink. Until I fall asleep. The first time it happened, I thought it was just a crazy dream." He explained. If they were anything like Sam's visions, I suddenly had a lot more sympathy for Chuck. Sam had a high pain threshold and he would buckle in seconds after a vision came on.

"The first time you dreamt about us?" Dean asked.

"It flowed. It just, it kept flowing." Chuck continued and pressed his temple with his fingers. Sam smiled, still not believing Chuck. "It still does. I-I can't stop it, really."

"You can't seriously believe-" Sam started.

"Humor me." Dean stuck out his hand, shutting Sam up. He stood up, walked forward and Chuck held out the manuscript for him. "Look, why don't we, we just..." he took the manuscript from Chuck. "Take a look at these and see what's what." He looked down at the pages. "You-"

"...knew you were gonna ask for that. Yeah." Chuck finished for him. The miniature psychic was growing on me a little.

* * *

Dean was driving us out of town. He believed that if we simply did the opposite of what was on paper, Sam would make it through the night without copulating with the devil spawn. Sam was riding shotgun, reading from the manuscript, still not convinced.

"Dean, come on." He exclaimed. "'The minivan accident wasn't that bad, but Dean was still seeing stars. He scratched absently at the pink flower Band-Aids on his face.'" He read out loud. Although it seemed ridiculous, I trusted Chuck's powers seeing as everything he had written to date had been spot on.

"So?" Dean asked, not fazed by the writing.

"So, I've seen you gushing blood. You'd use duct tape and bar rags before you'd put on a pink flower Band-Aid." Sam pointed out logically.

"What's your point?" Dean asked, not moving on his decision.

"My point is this – all of this – is totally implausible, it's nuts." Sam explained.

"He's been right about everything so far. You think he's just gonna ground out at first now?" I asked Sam. He looked back down at the manuscript and scoffed.

"Huh. 'Dean slid behind the wheel of his beloved Impala and drove off, the plastic tarp on the rear window flapping like the wings of a crow.'" He read out, smirking at Dean.

"A tarp?" Dean asked, slightly skeptical.

"Yeah. On the rear window. And you drive it like that." Sam confirmed, thinking Dean would change his mind.

"Well, he might be wrong about the details, but doesn't mean he's wrong about the end result." Dean defended Chuck.

"So we're just gonna run?" Sam asked. How was he so eager to kill Lilith? Yes, she sent Dean to hell and yes, she tortured me but Sam couldn't really be that stupid right? He had to know we weren't ready yet.

"Dude, we are a long way from ready, for a face-to-face death match with Lilith." Dean told Sam firmly. He slowed down as we approached a roadblock and came to a stop as a deputy approached the Impala. He leaned down at Dean's window.

"What seems to be the problem?" Dean asked.

"Bridge is out ahead." he informed us. I leaned over the seat to see multiple police cars blocking the entrance to the broken bridge over the strong current.

"We're just trying to get out of town." Dean told him, hoping he'd direct us.

"Yeah, afraid not." The deputy replied being anything but helpful.

"Is there a detour?" Dean pressed as we collectively got the sunken feeling that we might not leave town tonight.

"Nope." The deputy said nonchalantly. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and I twisted in the car, trying to pull it out of my jeans.

"There's not a side road that takes us to the highway?" Dean asked. I looked at the caller I.D. - caller unknown.

"To get to the highway, you have to cross that river. To cross the river, you have to take that bridge." The deputy informed Dean, blocking any escape from this town, but Dean was determined.

"Hello?" I asked quietly from the back seat.

"How deep's the river?" Dean asked, like we might have a shot a swimming out. Dean would never leave the car on the other side of the bridge.

"Alexis." Anna said desperately over the phone.

"Sorry. Afraid you three are gonna have to spend the night in town." He said. I tapped Dean's shoulder and mouthed 'drive'.

"Anna?" I asked. Why was she calling me on the phone? "What's going on?" I asked as Sam turned to watch me.

"Something's big is about to happen… the demons are on to it and we've heard rumors that you three are somehow involved." She breathed out. Was she talking about Lilith?

"Something big like what?" I asked her, catching Dean's eye in the rearview. I put her on speakerphone so we could all hear her.

"I'm not sure yet but the demons are in a frenzy. It's very import-" the line cut off.

"Anna?" Sam asked. The connection was lost

* * *

I sat beside Sam, playing with my food. I wasn't so hungry after hearing from Anna and facing the looming possibility that she was dead.

"Hey, this could be a good thing." Dean said from opposite me. I looked up, hoping to God he wasn't referring to Anna. "I mean, if this is what puts us on the path to Lilith, then all we got to do is get off the path." He said, waving the manuscript around.

"How do you mean?" Sam asked from beside me.

"It's a blueprint of what not to do. I mean, if the pages say that we go left-" he hinted.

"Then we go right." Sam finished.

"Exactly. We get off-book. We never make it to the end. It's opposite day. It says that we, uh, we get into a fight. So, no fighting. No research for you..." he directed at Sam.

"No bacon cheeseburger for you." Sam shot back. Dean didn't look too happy about that but all I could think about was what the demon could be in a 'frenzy' about.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll just order something else." Dean said, casting me a concerned glance as I stared at the manuscript. The waitress approached Dean, smiling. "Hi, uh, what's good?"

"Well, if you like burgers, Oprah's girlfriend said we have the best bacon cheeseburgers in the country." She replied and Sam laughed.

"Really?" Dean asked, smiling. How did Chuck not predict Anna's phone call?

"I'll just have the cobb salad, please." Sam ordered for himself while I studied the manuscript.

"I'll have the... veggie tofu burger." Dean looked to me but my attention was elsewhere. "And she'll have the chicken Caesar salad. Thanks." he ordered for me. She took the menus and left.

"Hey." Sam got my attention as he placed his hand on my back. I looked up at him, forgetting I was supposed to be mad.

"Anna's phone-call isn't in the script." I pointed out to them. Sam sighed as he took the pages from me.

"Maybe it wasn't important." He suggested. I shook my head.

"No, it was important. Anna might be dead at the moment and the demons are planning something big involving us. It's important." I muttered.

"Look, let's take it one problem at a time." Dean said to me.

"This whole thing's ridiculous." Sam stated.

"Lilith is ridiculous?" Dean asked, a little annoyed at Sam's skepticism.

"The idea of me hooking up with her is." Sam said, like it really wasn't a possibility. Dean and I knew differently.

"Right. 'Cause something like that can never happen." Dean said sarcastically. I gave Sam a pointed look, all too well remembering Ruby.

"Look, for the first time, we have warning that Lilith is close." Sam stated, trying to ignore Dean's comment.

"So?" I asked, not looking up.

"So... we've got the jump on her. If we know when she's coming, we know where she's – this is an opportunity." Sam explained. I took my fork and stabbed into the table, glaring at Sam.

"Are you-" Dean almost yelled but then remembered he couldn't get mad. With great self-control he tried again. "It frustrates me when you say such reckless things." He said to Sam.

"Well, it frustrates me when you'd rather hide that fight." Sam shot back. I shoved Sam's shoulder so he would look at me.

"We have to hide so we can save your ass." I shot at him. "If you face off with Lilith, Sam, I guarantee you'll have a one way ticket downstairs. You're not fucking invincible." I said forcefully. Sam was irritated with me, his face showed it instantly. The waitress approached with our food.

"Cobb salad for you. One chicken Caesar salad and the tofu veggie burger for you." She said happily, placing the plates down.

"Thank you." Dean smiled at the waitress ad she left. He leaned in closer towards us. "It's not hiding. It's being smart. It's picking your battles. This is a battle that we are not ready to fight." He aimed at Sam before taking a hug bite of his burger. We had the satisfaction of watching Dean's eyes widen with surprise. "Oh, my god. This is delicious. Tofu is amazing!" he exclaimed happily. The waitress approached again, flustered this time.

"I am so sorry. I gave you the bacon cheeseburger by mistake." She said to Dean as she took his plate away from him. Shit. Dean looked up at us with a disheartened expression.

Stupid Chuck and his accurate writing.

* * *

"Seriously?" I asked Dean as he handed my duffel. I stood beside Chuck on the sidewalk, looking helplessly at Sam and Dean.

"Yes." Dean replied, shutting the trunk. "It's says here that you do anything and everything to avoid Chuck so guess what you're actually going to do today?" he asked me as he came around to the sidewalk.

"Stay with Chuck." I answered, really not wanting to spend time here.

"Bingo. I'll text you the motel we pick but all you got to do is sit on your ass for one night." Dean said it like it was the easiest thing in the world. If I was going to stay with Chuck, I had to make it work for me. No more pouting… it was time to make things interesting.

"Okay," I glanced at Chuck, he really wasn't that bad. My sour mood was solely because of Sam and I shouldn't have taken my frustrations out on Chuck. "See you in the morning." I said to the boys. Chuck took my change in attitude as his death sentence.

"Um, don't you think it's a bad idea to leave Alexis with weapons?" he asked Dean quietly. Sam and I grinned at Chuck's discomfort.

"You've written her for about four years now," Dean said as he opened his door. "You know it's not the weapons you should be worried about." He pointed out, before getting into the car. I looked up at Sam and grabbed his jacket before he opened the door.

"Sam," I sighed holding him back. I was mad at him for putting his life on the line… he needed to know it was the only reason I was mad. I didn't think he was weak, I didn't hate him… I cared about his safety. If something did go wrong tonight, I didn't want Sam to think Dean and I weren't on his side. My brothers were the most important thing to me, everything else came after them.

"Be careful." I told him honestly. The anger vanished from his face as I let go of his jacket. He put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me towards him, kissing my head. He let go of me and opened the car door. "And if by some chance you do see Lilith tonight…" I leaned down at the Impala window. "…picture Bobby naked." I advised Sam. Both he and Dean grimaced in disgust.

"Play nice with the psychic." Dean told me, glancing at Chuck who couldn't hear us. "Call me if he acts up." He added. I scoffed at Dean.

"Please… Barbie boy?" I asked and Sam smirked. "I've got a few questions of my own to ask him." I told them, pushing myself off the car. Chuck came to stand beside me as Dean pulled away. "Don't worry, I won't bite." I told him, picking up my duffel and turning towards the house. Chuck's house was too dark for my liking and so the first thing I did was open some of his curtains and windows.

"I'm sorry for doing this but some fresh air might help." I told him, pulling the living room window open, remembering all too well all the late night exam preparation I'd previously done. Five minutes of the outside world could take you a long way.

"Oh, that's okay." Chuck said, organizing the papers on his desk. I turned guiltily towards him, suddenly feeling like a real shit for being so cruel before.

"Hey, Chuck?" I asked him. He turned towards me, holding the pile of papers. "Sorry for being such a dick to you earlier." I apologized. "I was having a crap ass day." I explained. He nodded, looking down at his hands.

"It's okay, I know." He answered. I smiled at him.

"I guess you do." I said, pushing my duffel into the corner. What else did he know? "Chuck, um… do you have visions of… just me?" I asked him. He looked up, a little confused. "I mean, did you see what happened to me when I went missing?" I clarified. He shook his head as he took a seat at his desk.

"Um, no." he replied. "That's what I meant about you not originally being in the story." He explained. I sat on the couch in front of him and waited for him to continue… this is what I had wanted to know. "Although you're a main character for all intents and purposes… unless your story is directly linked with Sam or Dean's… I don't see you." He said.

This is what I had feared. Dean was wrong… it was more than just a crush. I really wasn't supposed to be here. Mom pushing me through the veil literally wasn't supposed to happen and here I was, a clear example of defying fate. What did it all mean?

"That's just great." I said, leaning back into the couch, my hand on my forehead. "I don't even know how I should feel about that." I admitted.

"If it's any consolation, I really think you belong in the Winchester family." He said, standing up and walking over to me. "You fit in pretty well."

"You don't get it… if I wasn't supposed to be here…" I trailed off. "If Sam and Dean weren't supposed to be my brothers..." I hated even thinking it.

"Well, do you like your brothers?" Chuck asked me. I looked up at him like he was stupid.

"Yes Chuck, I like my brothers." I answered with raised eyebrows. What kind of question was that?

"And do they like you?" he asked, taking a seat opposite me. I nodded, not even having to think about it. "Isn't that what family is?" he asked me. He was right… how did this information change anything? "I mean, you guys have suffered through hell and you're still together. Whether I see you in my visions or not… it doesn't change the fact that there is nothing Sam and Dean wouldn't do for you." Chuck pointed out.

Even Chuck knew what the Winchesters were capable of. I smiled lightly at him, understanding the truth of what he said. It didn't matter what was supposed to have happened… I was already here.

"Lex, if you weren't supposed to be here, you wouldn't be." He told me.

Before, I hadn't seen why Chuck had been given these powers but now I was slowly understanding that he was more complicated and a little wiser than I had initially thought. His cell rang and he leaned over to check the I.D. He glanced up at me uneasily and answered.

"Hey." He said quietly. I thought about what he said… if I wasn't supposed to be here, I wouldn't be. "Yes. Yes. Okay." Chuck hung up and stared at his phone.

"Everything okay?" I asked. He looked up at me and nodded.

"Um, I just need to make a quick grocery run." He told me, standing up and heading for his jacket. Well, at least I wasn't avoiding him… he was the one leaving.

"Okay, I'll just be here." I said, laying myself out on the couch. I heard the front door open and close as Chuck scurried out of the house.

* * *

I didn't know how long I slept for but I was rudely awoken by my cell ringing beside me. It was Dean.

"Hey." I said, sitting up. I could hear a flapping noise in the background.

"It happened." He told me. What happened? Oh, wait, the manuscript prophecy?

"What? How?" I asked not believing Dean tied tarp to the Impala. He growled over the sound of the 'flapping of crows wing' noise.

"I went to the park the car and on my way back, I saw these hooligans trying to break into my baby so I began walking towards them and didn't see the minivan." He explained, annoyed.

"You actually got hit?" I asked, shocked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm pissed." He replied.

"The stars and the Band-Aids?" I asked, pulling my hair out of my face.

"Yeah, that happened too." He replied, not going into details. "How's Chuck?" he asked. I looked around, checking to see if he was still out.

"He was okay. He's gone on a grocery run." I explained, standing up and stretching.

"I'll be there in five." He said, before hanging up. This was bad… if it was all playing out like Chuck had written, then Lilith was going to find Sam tonight and we couldn't let that happen. I speed dialed Sam, needing to warn him.

"Lex?" he asked when he finally picked up. He sounded upset but now was not the time to ask.

"Hey, we've got trouble." I told him, checking my gun and daggers.

"What happened?" he asked me, sounding more concerned.

"Dean's side played out just as Chuck had written." I explained, walking into the kitchen and looking for Chuck's salt.

"Really?" he asked. All of us found it hard to picture Dean with pink Band-Aids and a tarp on his ride.

"Really." I replied. "Bunk up properly, it seems like Lilith is actually going to make an appearance tonight. Dean's going to be here soon, so we'll call you later." I told him. I sifted through the pantry until I found the salt.

"Okay." He said quickly and I hung up. I began laying the salt at all the entrances of the house, just taking precautions in case Lilith decided to change her mind. The doorbell rang as I was salting the last set of windows and I went to check who it was.

I opened the door, letting Dean in, and glancing behind him at the Impala's broken back window. Dean himself looked a little beaten up, but what did you expect after being hit by a minivan?

"Hard day at work?" I asked. Dean rolled his eyes and pushed my head down as he shut the door behind him.

"Shut up." He told me, glancing at the salt. "Are we expecting company?" he asked looking around at the windows. I shook my head as I slapped his hand away and went back to salting.

"Just being precautious." I replied. Dean walked into the living room and sunk into the couch, exhausted. "You're mad." I noted as I followed him.

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it." He said as I sat opposite him.

"We'll find a way to stop it, Dean. Lilith isn't going to get Sam. Not on our watch." I said plainly.

"It's not that." Dean said, running a hand down his face. "How does this guy know so much?" he asked, frustrated. I didn't have an answer for that question but what I did know was Chuck didn't seem evil.

"Where are you guys holed up?" I asked, remembering Dean never texted me.

"Toreador Motel." He answered, "…charges by the hour." I grimaced, not wanting to spend the night there.

"Why?" I asked. I had seen plenty of other motels along the strip, so why couldn't Dean stay at a decent one?

"Usually because people only need the bed for an hour to-"

"WHY did you pick the hooker motel?" I interrupted him loudly. Trust Dean to explain the mechanics of prostitution to me… what an idiot.

"Oh," he smiled sheepishly, "apparently we stay at the 'Red Motel' so I went with our best bet and chose the one we'd never pick." He explained. We heard the door click and I stood up with my hand on my gun. Chuck entered carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag and a six-pack of beer. I took my hand away from my gun as he shut the door behind him.

"This was your grocery run?" I asked him as he walked up to me. He looked into the living room, not surprised to see Dean sitting on the couch.

"Dean." he acknowledged his presence.

"I take it you knew I'd be here." Dean said, anger in his voice.

"You look terrible." Chuck noted and I watched Dean's eye twitch.

"That's 'cause I just got hit by a minivan, Chuck." Dean explained irritated. This was not going to end well.

"Oh." Chuck said timidly. He was terrified of Dean and he had every right to be. Dean leaned forward slowly in anger.

"That it?" he asked. "Every damn thing you write about us comes true; that's all you have to say is 'oh'?!" he yelled at Chuck.

"Please don't yell at me." Chuck said softly and I felt bad for the guy. Dean stood up and began walking towards Chuck.

"Why do I get feeling there's something that you're not telling us?" he asked menacingly.

"What wouldn't I be telling you?" Chuck asked, his voice wavering.

"How you know what you know, for starters!" Dean yelled, his face inches from Chuck's.

"Dean." I said softly, seeing his anger grow.

"I don't know how I know, I just do!" Chuck's voice cracked as he answered in fear.

"That's not good enough." Dean said through clenched teeth. He grabbed Chuck and shoved him against the wall, hard.

"Dean!" I exclaimed, getting between him and Chuck, my hands on Dean's chest. I couldn't let him beat the guy up… it was like wailing on a cripple.

"How the hell are you doing this?!" Dean yelled again, looking past me, his hands still on Chuck.

"Dean, let him go!" a voice came from behind. Dean let go of Chuck and he turned in time for both of us to see Castiel, who had appeared out of nowhere, as usual, standing in the living room. "This man is to be protected." He informed us. Chuck was shaking slightly beside me.

"Why?" Dean asked slowly. Cas didn't waver while he spoke.

"He's a Prophet of the Lord." He answered. Holy shit. I turned my head to see Chuck who was still cowering behind me, seeking refuge from my older brother. This guy was a prophet?

"You... You're Castiel... aren't you?" Chuck stammered, watching Cas.

"It's an honor to meet you, Chuck. I... admire your work." Cas said as he picked up one of the novels and flicked through it.

"Whoa, whoa, what? This guy, a prophet?" Dean asked in annoyance as Chuck reached across and grabbed his alcohol supply. "Come on, he's – he's... he's practically a Penthouse Forum writer." Chuck stumbled across the living room and sat in his chair, whiskey bottle in hand.

"Did you know about this?" I asked him? He would have said something, right? Or did prophets not see angel related distress calls; after all, he hadn't predicted Anna, right?

"I, uh, I might have dreamt about it." He stammered, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"And you didn't tell us?!" Dean asked, even madder than before.

"It was too preposterous." He replied and Dean rolled his eyes. "Not to mention arrogant. I mean, writing yourself into the story is one thing, but as a prophet? That's like M. Night-level douchiness." He explained and gulped down the whiskey.

"This is the guy who decides our fate?" Dean asked Cas quietly, while Cas continued to flick through the book.

"He isn't deciding anything. He's a mouthpiece – a conduit for the inspired word." Cas explained and I glanced back over at Chuck who was still hugging the bottle.

"The word? The word of god? What, like the new-new testament?" I asked in disbelief.

"One day, these books – they'll be known as the Winchester gospel." Cas replied.

"You got to be kidding me." Chuck and Dean said in unison. I wasn't sure if they both thought it or if Chuck was illustrating his psychic powers.

"I am not... kidding you." Castiel replied sincerely, looking up at the both of us.

"If you three would please excuse me one minute." Chuck said pushing himself up and walking to the stairs. Dean and I watched him scurry the flight of stairs, like a mouse, still clutching the bottle, before turning back to Cas.

"Him? Really?" I asked Cas. Psychic was one thing… Prophet of the Lord was another thing entirely.

"You should've seen Luke." Cas said seriously. I rubbed my eye and Dean walked forward, past Castiel. This was unreal.

"Why'd he get tapped?" Dean asked.

"I don't know how prophets are chosen. The order comes from high up on the celestial chain of command." Cas explained.

"How high?" Dean pried, probably hoping we could get the next day of our lives re-written.

"Very." Cas replied… meaning he had no control over this.

"Well, whatever. How do we get around this?" Dean asked, getting to the point.

"Around what?" Cas asked, confused.

"The Sam-Lilith love connection. How do we stop it from happening?" I asked, pointing the obvious out to Cas.

"What the prophet has written can't be unwritten. As he has seen it, so it shall come to pass." Cas replied mystically. Whatever anger Dean had been feeling, suddenly amplified within me. Cas was not doing this to me again. I walked up to him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you telling me that you're going to put another one of my brothers in a fate-deciding situation with no way out?" I asked him. Cas and I hadn't spoken since Dean had been in hospital and for good reason. He didn't have a mind of his own and that was costing us as a family.

"I don't make the decisions, Alexis," he told me pointedly, "I have no say in this just like I had no say in Dean interrogating Alastair."

"Torture!" I yelled at him. "Call it what it is, Cas. Torture!" Dean grabbed my jacket from behind and pulled me back towards him.

"We've got to get to Sam." He said to me, pulling me towards the door. He was right… we were on the clock now.

* * *

"God! Dean, he irritates me so much!" I complained, holding my head in my hands. "How can he not see we need his help?" I asked. Dean was speeding down the main road, trying to get to Sam as soon as possible.

"Keep your head in the game, Lex." He warned me and heeding his advice I took a deep breath.

"I swear, if Sammy throws a fit about skipping town, I'm going to start throwing punches." I told Dean as he slowed down, approaching the motel. I looked up at the sign reading 'Red Motel' and glanced at Dean. "I thought you said you were staying at Toreador Motel." I said as we got a little closer.

"We are." Dean replied as he pulled into the lot.

"I'm seeing 'Red', Dean." I told him, looking closely at the sign.

"You and me both sister." He said putting the car into park.

"Dean!" I pointed to the sign and he finally looked up. The sign was partially out, probably due to bad wiring, and the only letters that remained, displayed the word, 'Red'.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered. "Come on." He said getting out of the car. He jogged to our room and I followed closely behind, reciting the exorcism in my head in case we needed it tonight. He opened the door and walked in

"Come on. We're getting out of here." Dean said to Sam as he stood up from his seat. Please Sam, don't be difficult today.

"What? Where?" Sam asked watching us. I found Sam's duffel and began shoving everything in.

"Anywhere, okay? Out of this motel, out of this town. I don't care if we got to swim, we are getting out." Dean stated. He looked around, confused and I stopped what I was doing to watch him. "Dude, where are all the hex bags?" he asked Sam.

"I burned them." Sam stated. Jesus Christ… I was definitely going to hit someone.

"You what?" Dean asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Look, if Lilith is coming, which is a big 'if' -" he started.

"No, no, no. It's more than an 'if.' Chuck is not a psychic. He's a prophet." I explained to Sam.

"What?" Sam asked, genuinely confused.

"Cas showed up, and apparently Chuck is writing the gospel of us." Dean explained. Sam stopped for a moment to take that in.

"Okay." He said.

"Okay. Let's get the hell out of here." Dean walked past him, towards his duffel again but I stayed still, watching Sam. He wasn't backing down.

"No." Sam said with a sigh. Dean dropped his stuff on the bed in frustration.

"Lilith is gonna slaughter you." Dean told him honestly. It wasn't even a lie… Sam was going to die if he stayed here.

"Maybe she will, maybe she won't." Sam said.

"So what? You think you can take her?" Dean asked, stepping up to Sam.

"Only one way to find out, Dean, and I say bring her on." Sam retaliated and the anger built up within me.

"Sam..." Dean said angrily. I didn't wait any longer.

"Sam, you either get in the car or I will knock you on your ass and drag you to the car." I threatened. He turned to look at me and then back at Dean.

"You think I'll do it, don't you? You think I'll go dark side." Sam said quietly. The truth was… yes. Dean and I knew Sam was still meeting up with Ruby and drinking her blood. We couldn't trust Sam to resist.

"Yes!" Dean yelled, exasperated. "Okay? Yes. The way you've been acting lately? The things you've been doing?" he said and Sam looked up, a little startled. "Oh, I know. How you ripped Alastair apart like it was nothing, like you were swatting a fly." Wait, what? "Cas told me, okay?"

"What!?" I asked stepping towards them. I didn't know that… nobody had told me that!

"What else did he tell you?" Sam asked, looking a little betrayed.

"Nothing I don't already know." Dean replied. "That you've been using your psychic crap, and you've been getting stronger. We know it's Ruby." I was hurting. Sam and Dean were keeping things from me.

"It's not what you think." Sam defended.

"Then what is it, Sam? 'Cause I'm at a total loss." Dean said. There was a silence as we waited for Sam to explain himself but he never did. Dean nodded slowly and went to grab his bag. I watched the both of them, severely pissed off and upset. Dean walked to the door, stopped and then looked back. "Are you coming or not?" he asked Sam. I stormed past Sam, then Dean, out the door and into the parking lot.

Dean was right behind me and he slammed the motel door shut.

"You couldn't tell me Sam has the juice to sun dry Alastair?" I asked Dean, walking up to him. He looked away.

"I was going to tell you." He said, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Yeah? When?" I asked, still very angry.

"Lex," he said warily, "this is not the time. Trust me, I wasn't hiding this from you." He said, looking me in the eyes. I looked right back into his eyes, searching for the truth. He was hurting but he wasn't lying. My anger subsided slightly. I took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky.

"What do we do?" I asked him, feeling completely lost. I watched Dean look to the sky too.

"Well, I feel stupid doing this. But... I am fresh out of options." He said. I watched him, confused as to what he was doing. "So please. I need some help. I'm praying, okay?" he glanced at me. "Come on. Please."

"Prayer is a sign of faith." We both turned around to see Cas standing behind us. "This is a good thing." He said walking towards us.

"So does that mean you'll help?" Dean asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure what I can do." Cas replied.

"Drag Sam out of here, now. Before Lilith shows up." Dean told him.

"It's a prophecy. I can't interfere." Cas explained. Jesus Cas… grow a pair! When was he planning on giving us a helping hand?

"You have tested me and thrown me every which way." Dean said through gritted teeth. "And I have never asked for anything. Not a damn thing. But now I'm asking. I need your help. Please." he begged Cas.

"What you're asking, it's... not within my power to do." Cas said. Not this again.

"Why? 'Cause it's 'divine prophecy'?" Dean asked, annoyed.

"Yes." Cas continued to look at Dean.

"So, what – We're just supposed to sit around and, and wait for it to happen?" Dean asked, his voice getting louder. Cas stared at him for a while and it almost looked like we were going to get help.

"I'm sorry." He said and I groaned.

"Screw you. You and your mission." Dean spat. "Your God." Cas looked down, not able to hold eye contact with Dean. "If you don't help me now, then when the time comes and you need me... don't bother knocking." Dean said forcefully. He brushed past Cas and walked away. Cas looked to me and I realized this was the only chance I was going to get. I walked up to him and caught his eye.

"Cas." I breathed. "Please… Sam needs your help, we need your help." I held his coat. "I'll take it all back Cas… if you help me now, I'll take it all back." I told him. "Please," I begged, "Please don't let me lose my brother, I can't go through that again. I'm begging you not to put me through that again." I watched him battle with his inner thoughts. "If Lilith gets Sam, I'll break." I whispered. He looked at me with pained eyes.

"Alexis." He whispered and I shut my eyes, praying that he'd help. "Dean." Cas called out.

"What?" Dean replied from a distance. He hadn't been watching us. Castiel turned to face Dean.

"You must understand why I can't intercede. Prophets are very special. They're protected." He explained.

"I get that." Dean replied with anger.

"If anything threatens a prophet, anything at all, an archangel will appear to destroy that threat. Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're heaven's most terrifying weapon." Cas told us. I looked over at Dean, wondering if he was thinking about using Chuck to our advantage.

"And these archangels, they're tied to prophets?" Dean asked, just to clarify.

"Yes." Cas replied.

"So if a prophet was in the same room as a demon-" Dean asked walking closer, trying to understand Cas' message.

"Then the most fearsome wrath of heaven would rain down on that demon." Cas explained. "Just so you understand... why I can't help." He said, looking up at the sky like the angels were eavesdropping. What Cas had told us was enough… it gave us a fighting chance.

"Thanks, Cas." I patted his arm and rushed past Dean, towards the Impala.

"Good luck." I heard him tell Dean.

* * *

I opened Chuck's front door and walked in with Dean behind me. Chuck was sprawled on his couch, wrapped in a blanket with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked surprised to see us.

"What are you two doing here? I didn't write this." He said looking up at us. Dean took the glass out of his hand and pulled him up.

"Come on. We need you to come with us." he said.

"What? Where?" Chuck asked.

"To the motel where Sam is." I explained.

"That's where Lilith is." He pointed out.

"Yeah, exactly. We need you to stop her." Dean said hurriedly, turning towards the door. Chuck jerked out of his grip.

"Are you insane? Lilith? I know what she's capable of, Dean. I wrote her." Chuck exclaimed, moving away from Dean. I didn't have time for this.

"All right, listen to me. You have an archangel tethered to you, okay? All you got to do is show up and boom! Lilith gets smoked." Dean explained, backing Chuck into a corner.

"But I-I haven't seen that yet. Th-the story-" he stammered.

"Fuck your story Chuck." I told him. "We write our own fate… now get in the car." I ordered him.

"Chuck, you're the only shot that we've got left." Dean told him, trying to counteract my abruptness.

"But... I'm just a writer." Chuck said, eyeing me uneasily, afraid I might draw a weapon. Given the speed of things, I might've had to.

"This isn't a story anymore, man. This is real! And you're in it! Now, I need you to get off your ass and fight." Dean tried to inspire him. Chuck walked past Dean and turned around. "Come on, Chuck." He prompted.

"No friggin' way." Chuck said, holding his glass tight. My patience was gone.

"Okay, well, then, how about this" I said walking towards him. "I've got a gun, and if you don't come with us, I'll blow your brains out." I told him. I enjoyed threatening people a little too much for my own good.

"I thought you said I was protected by an archangel." Chuck said smugly. I nodded.

"Well, interesting exercise. Let's see who the quicker draw is." I challenged Chuck. Fear slowly filled his face and I knew I'd won.

* * *

We were running out of time. Dean barely stopped the car before I bolted out and went running towards our room. I was dragging Chuck alongside of me and the second we got the door, I lifted my leg and kicked the door in with full force, knowing it was locked.

The scene before us almost set me back on my heels. Lilith was sitting on top of Sam on the bed, about to stab him with the demon knife. She was looking over at us, seeing as the door had just flown open. Chuck ran in and Dean shut the door behind us.

"I am the prophet Chuck!" he announced, his voice wavering slightly. Lilith got off Sam and the bed, to face Chuck.

"You've got to be joking." She said, clearly annoyed. She was wearing the same meat suit she was in when she'd ambushed me on my own. Her face brought back the pain of nearly having my heart ripped out. The room began to tremble slightly.

"Oh, this is no joke." Dean said over the noise. Sam looked confused too as the photo frames around him started dropping. A white light began shining through the windows. "You see, Chuck here's got an archangel on his shoulder." Dean explained as Lilith advanced on us. "You've got about ten seconds before this room is full of wrath and you're a piece of charcoal. You sure you want to tangle with that?" Dean asked Lilith as the room shook more violently and light grew brighter.

I hoped she would stay so the angels would just kill her and get it over with. I didn't want to deal with her anymore; she had been a threat to our family too long.

Lilith seemed to understand what was happening because she cast Sam one last glance before looking up to the ceiling, opening her mouth and screaming herself out of her vessel. The woman collapsed to the floor, the room stopped shaking and the light disappeared. I stepped forward, watching the motionless woman on the ground.

I counted this as a victory.

* * *

"So a deal, huh?" Dean asked Sam as tried to adjust the tarp which was flapping like crazy near my head. The reason Chuck had foreseen Sam and Lilith do the dirty was because apparently, that's how you make a deal with Lilith.

"That's what she said." Sam replied. It was raining and Dean was speeding his way out of town. The lack of a rear window was allowing the rain to seep through the edges and fall on me.

"To call the whole thing off – angels, seals, Lucifer rising, the whole nine?" Dean asked. It seemed too good to be true, apart from the self-sacrifice of course. Lilith wanted all three of us dead in order to stop the apocalypse.

"That was the gist of it." Sam said. I shoved in Chuck's novel and zipped up my duffel seeing as the water kept coming in. Before leaving Chuck, I had slipped out his copy of 'What Is And Should Never Be', seeing as I had always wanted to know more about the reality Dean had gone to. It was my only chance to know more about mom and what would have happened if she hadn't died. Dean had always been sketchy about the details so I was glad I had found the book. I was going to read through it over the next couple of days.

"Huh." Dean looked back to the road.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You didn't think once about taking it?" Dean asked. It did seem like a fair deal, I mean, this was the apocalypse we were talking about here.

"You kidding me? Dude, you spent all day trying to talk me off the Lilith track." Sam said to Dean.

"I'm just saying..." Dean shrugged.

"She would have found some way to weasel out of it. And all it would have cost us was our lives." Sam predicted. If I had been in Sam's position, I might've said yes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Dean admitted.

"Anyway, that's not the point." Sam said. I leaned forward on the front seats, trying to get away from the rain.

"What's the point?" I asked.

"The point is, she's scared. I could see it. Lilith is running." Sam informed us with smug satisfaction.

"Running from what?" I asked again. My cell rang and I searched my jacket for it.

"Don't know. But she was telling the truth about one thing." Sam said. I pulled the phone out and saw it was Jo.

"What's that?" Dean asked. Why was Jo calling me so late at night?

"She's not gonna survive the apocalypse. I'll make sure of that." Sam said dangerously. I glanced at Dean, before I answered.

"Jo?" I asked. Sam turned in his seat and gave me a questioning look while Dean watched me through the rearview.

"Ash's dead." She said from the other end. I almost dropped my phone and I felt my eyes widen.

"What?" I asked.

"It happened again." She barely got the words out. "Mom's with me, the Roadhouse is gone, Ash is dead." She was barely keeping it together.

"I don't-" I was flustered.

"What's going on?" Dean asked, concerned.

"How?" I asked Jo, unable to believe this was happening again. "Jo?" I asked, hearing her sob softly on the other end. Dean turned around and grabbed the phone from me. He had pulled over, wanting to speak to Jo himself.

"Jo, what happened?" he asked firmly. Dean was stressed… I knew that he cared about Jo and this in itself was scaring him. Sam and I leaned a little closer so we could hear her end on the phone.

"Dean," she breathed, "the demon's destroyed everything." She finally got out. No, not again!

"Jo, are you hurt?" Dean asked. He'd swim across that river and get to her if she was, that was for certain.

"I'm fine." She said, regaining her composure. "Mom and I are on our way to Bobby's. They were looking for Ash specifically." the phone rustled.

"Jo?" Dean asked.

"Dean." it was Ellen. "Listen closely. The demons that came here, they were looking for something. The word 'Reema' was thrown around alot. They thought Ash had it but obviously he didn't and so they killed him." I realized I was unknowingly clutching Sam's arm. "Your names were mentioned too." She informed us.

"What were they saying?" Dean asked, looking between Sam and I.

"Nothing I could make out but I had to let you know." Ellen said. "Look, something big is about to go down." She warned us. Suddenly Anna's phone-call made a lot more sense. She wasn't talking about Lilith getting Sam, she was talking about the demons searching for this 'Reema'.

What the hell was it?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! **Go ahead and review for my BIRTHDAY!**

Remember to check out the one-shot I've also just posted, **Alexis Winchester - What Is And Should Never Be**, which is part of this series. You can find it by clicking on my profile link!

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

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**Review Response**

**Mayrem** - It is soooooo great to have you back! It was a hard chapter to write and I'm glad it's done now. I'm really looking forward to writing the Ghost-facer episodes, it's going to be so fun. Thank you so much xxxx

**Liz H.- **Thank-you, I hated writing Lex out of character so when she finally came to I thought the shoe was appropriate. Glad you enjoyed the POV's too ;)

**Jasmine** - Thank-you, I literally felt like Lex the minute she broke out of the alternate reality... I was itching for her to swear and be herself again. And yeah, if anything was going to set them back on track it was the idea of them having different siblings :)

**Guest - **Thanks, I wanted Lex to be independent and equal to her brothers and I'm glad that came across. xx

**I. Holmes**- I am honored that you are comparing me to the show's writers, thank-you so much!

**Guest - **Ahh, the Ghostfacers ;)

** Secret admirere - **I know who you are lovely xx Very funny indeed.

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Lots of love

Emerald Princess 14


	20. Chapter 20 - Jump The Shark

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! Here's the next chapter. Sorry again for the delay, I had unforeseen problems arise in my life but hopefully everything will be okay.

Also, last update, in celebration of my 100th review, I wrote the one-shot **Alexis Winchester - What Is And Should Never Be.** Please check it out and let me know what you think!

**Note:**I just want to thank everyone who follows, favorites, reads and reviews this story. Your support and especially your reviews is what keeps me so motivated to keep writing. Thank you so much for taking the time out! You guys bring me so much joy :D

* * *

Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Mayrem, maipigen , EllieWinchester, Fuffly, Becca, Guest, Jasmine, I. Holmes, Sara.B, Guest, Liz H and JensenAcklesfanforever. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

* * *

**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 20 – Jump The Shark**

"Reema?" Cas asked, confusion on his face. I nodded from beside Sam.

"Ellen said they thought Ash had it and they killed him when they realized he didn't." I explained, still feeling sick at the thought of Ash's death. "They were talking about us too, but then again, demons are always talking about us." I added. Cas glanced up at me and then looked to Dean.

"I haven't heard from Anna, nor have I heard of a 'Reema' before." He informed us, looking frustrated. We had told him everything that had happened since Chuck's archangel had sent Lilith's ass packing in the hopes he could shed some light on what the hell was going on. Unfortunately for us, Castiel's guess was as good as ours.

"What about your superiors? You know… Zachariah. Shouldn't he know something?" Dean asked. He was leaning against the Impala with his arms crossed. Jo's desperate cry had hit him harder than he'd expected and I predicted his mind was still on her.

"I don't know but rest assured, I'm going to find out." Cas said firmly. He was angry. You could see it in his eyes. He was angry that once again, our lives were on the line and he didn't have the slightest idea why. Before I knew it, he was gone.

"Well, at least we got Cas back." Dean muttered, pushing himself off the car. He was right… Castiel was slowly becoming himself again and that was a good thing. The mindless soldier-of-heaven act wasn't helping us at all in trying to stop the apocalypse; at last with Cas back, we could get some real work done.

"What's the plan?" Sam asked, his hands in his pockets. I looked to Dean, knowing full well that he'd probably find an excuse to go to Bobby's. Jo was there.

"I was thinking we make a trip to Sioux Falls." He suggested. "Ellen could use our help." He said, glancing at me. What a surprise.

"Sure." I said. If Dean wanted to check on Jo, then we were going to check on Jo. "Bobby could lend us a helping hand with all this." I pointed out, walking past Dean and opening the back door. I never forgot the looming question of my mysterious bruises and the charmed silver bracelet.

As a matter of fact, there were a lot of things running through my mind and I was surprised I hadn't lost the plot yet. Ruby was an obvious problem, seeing as I didn't know how to convince Sam she was an evil bitch that was working alongside Lilith. Soon after that problem, came the issue of the bracelet and the bruises which poor Bobby had been working tirelessly on for the past few weeks. Then came the deafening reminder from both Chuck and Alastair about how I wasn't supposed to exist in this world, not to mention the new information that my brother Sam, who was so hopped on demon blood, had the power to not just exorcise, but KILL Alastair – that one was a real mind fuck for me. After that there was Ash's death, the destruction of the Roadhouse, the demon frenzy, Anna's whereabouts, Micah and Nathaniel, and now this 'Reema' issue which had just popped out of nowhere.

Last but not least… there was James and Riley. Who, you ask? There had been a day gap between our fight with Lilith and now. In that day, I had begun reading Chuck's novel 'What Is And Should Never Be' and it took me three chapters in to figure out why Dean had never gone into much detail about his experience with the Djinn two years ago.

I didn't blame him entirely… in the new reality there were notable changes which would have been alarming to anyone. I was older, I looked different, I was married to some guy named Riley and I had a baby boy named James… it was a lot to take in. I didn't blame Dean for not coping well with the world he was thrown in however what did bug me was that Sam and Dean, together, had kept this whole fiasco a secret from me. I thought I deserved to know what my life would have been like had mom been alive.

I didn't have the energy to fight either of my brothers and better yet, I didn't want to fight them over this however I had a more elegant solution in the hopes they'd stop being idiots, especially as the apocalypse neared.

Sam was driving and Dean was leaning against the door beside him, about to catch some shut-eye. We'd only been on the road a couple of minutes so I was pretty sure he was still awake. I leaned forward on my crossed arms which were resting against the front seat.

"When we get to Bobby's, you reckon I can slip away for a couple of hours?" I asked them, watching the trees pass.

"Why?" Sam asked glancing sideways at me. Dean still had his eyes shut, ignoring us.

"There's someone I've been meaning to see for a while now." I replied, tapping on the seat lightly with my fingers.

"Who?" Dean asked from his sleeping position. These two were about to get a taste of their own medicine.

"An old friend of mine, he's a mechanic." I replied, looking straight ahead. Sam followed the bend in the road, narrowing his eyes.

"Who?" he asked, trying to rack his brain for friends that I had in Sioux Falls.

"Riley." I replied.

I went flying into the side door as the car swerved off the road. Sam gripped the wheel with wide eyes trying to keep the Impala straight. Dean was sitting upright in his seat, shock evident on his face.

"What the hell Sam." I groaned, rubbing my arm which had been pushed against the arm rest. I pulled myself up and leaned against the front seat, between Sam and Dean. They cast each other uneasy glances before Dean looked back at me.

"Riley?" he asked, disbelief on his face. I nodded, looking cautious but feeling pretty damn smug.

"Why?" I asked, reaching down and picking up Chuck's novel. "Does that name sound familiar to you guys?" I asked, handing Dean the book. He took it from me and read the cover. His shoulders sagged a little, in relief and realization.

"I'm going to kill Chuck." He muttered, showing the book to Sam who figured out pretty quickly, what was going on.

"He doesn't know I have it." I defended Chuck. "What did you think was going to happen?" I asked, looking between their guilty faces. "It's not like I can run away with the guy… he doesn't exist!" I told them.

"I was saving you the grief." Dean explained. "You should be thanking me." He said pointedly. I gave him an incredulous look.

"Yeah, thanks Dean." I rolled my eyes. "Just, quit keeping me out of the loop." I said, lying back in the seat. "Or else one day your secrecy is going to come back and bite you in the ass."

That was one less thing to worry about.

* * *

Sam had driven through the night and he had finally pulled over beside a lake at day break. I had practically jumped out of the back seat, wanting to stretch my legs and get a breath of fresh air. We were a couple hours from Bobby's and I was looking forward to seeing Ellen and Jo again. The three of them and Cas were our most trusted acquaintances and it felt nice to be with family when the world was about to end.

I looked over and saw Sam sitting on the hood of the car, brushing his teeth while Dean was asleep in the front seat of the Impala.

"You know, after we get to Bobby's, we need to find ourselves a good hunt." I said, sitting on the wooden railing. Sam looked over at me, toothbrush still in his mouth.

"What do you mean 'a good hunt'?" he asked. I jumped off the railing and made my way over to Sam.

"I mean the most physical thing I did on our last hunt, was kick down the motel door." I explained, playing a beat on Sam's arm, before I sat beside him. "The last proper fight I had, was with Alastair." I pointed out. I looked up at Sam and then remembered that he was the one who had killed Alastair… Sam had the power to kill Alastair. As much as I hated to admit it, for the first time, I was a little scared of my brother. He saw the revelation on my face and I looked down, not wanting to meet his gaze. What if one day, the brother I trusted and loved so much, decided to use his demon blood powers on me? What would I do then?

"What's wrong?" he asked me, still brushing his teeth. The normal response to that was 'nothing' but I usually didn't have time for 'normal'.

"Your powers." I admitted, looking back up at him. He stopped brushing and turned to face me. "I mean, you're scary powerful if you could kill Alastair." I said to him honestly. Sam's gaze grew concerned and he took the toothbrush out of his mouth.

"I need to be that strong if I'm going to kill Lilith." he said, not quite understanding my train of thought. I didn't have time to process that because we both turned when we heard Dean shifting in the car. He twisted in the seat, groaning, before he pulled the door handle and almost fell out of the car.

"Hey. How'd you sleep?" Sam asked as Dean climbed out of the car, still trying to orientate himself.

"How do you think?" Dean shot back in a gruff voice. "I'm starving. Let's get breakfast." He said, his eyes adjusting to the light.

"Where? We're like two hours from anything." Sam replied.

"But I'm hungry now." He said walking toward us.

"There's probably still a sandwich in the back seat." I told him and he turned around as soon as the words came out of my mouth. He rubbed a hand over his face and reached through the open back window, pulling out the brown paper bag. I leaned forward on the car, watching him in amusement as he opened the bag and sniffed inside.

He moved his face away from the bag immediately, inhaling fresh air and I laughed.

"It's tuna." He said to me, scrunching the bag shut.

"I know." I replied, unable to hide my smile. Dean scowled at me just as a phone began ringing. He patted himself down before reaching through the front window and opening the glove box where we stashed all the extra phones. Dean rummaged through before pulling out Dad's phone. I winced as he hit his head on the roof on his way out.

"Isn't that Dad's phone?" Sam asked from beside me.

"Yeah" I replied, equally confused seeing as no one had called dad's phone in ages. Dean flipped open the phone and answered.

"Hello?" he said and I walked forward, wanting to listen in.

"Uh, is this John?" came a voice from the other end. He sounded like a younger man.

"He can't come to the phone. Can I help you?" Dean asked, watching me as I stood in front of him.

"No, no, no—I really—I need to talk to John. This is Adam Milligan. He knows me." He replied, sounding a little nervous. I shrugged my shoulders at Dean, not remembering an Adam Milligan in dad's journal.

"Well, sorry to be the one to break this to you, pal, but John died more than two years ago." Dean told him. Sam turned around to look at us, confused. It had been a while since anyone had asked for dad… most of his old acquaintances knew he was dead. Adam scoffed in shock. "Who is this?" Dean asked.

"I'm his son." Adam replied. Dean froze and I looked at Sam, the shock written all over my face. Sam couldn't hear Adam's side of the conversation but he could tell from our faces something was wrong.

Something was very wrong.

* * *

Dean pulled up next to Cousin Oliver's Hilltop Café. We were in Windom, Minnesota, where we'd arranged a meeting with Adam Milligan under the pretense that we could help him with whatever problem he was having. I, for one, was currently in the middle of silently panicking and hyperventilating due to the chance of there being another Winchester. I liked my family just the way it was… Sam, Dean and myself. Who was this 'Adam' that had just come out of nowhere? I didn't want a younger brother.

I followed Sam and Dean out of the car, trying my best not to lash out. Dean immediately went to the trunk, probably to get his weapons. He was under the impression that Adam was a monster of some sort… luring us into some kind of trap. I liked that explanation because it didn't involve an addition to our family

"Dean, look, best I can tell, Adam Milligan is real." Sam said, following us to the trunk. Dean unlocked it, opened the trunk and then the false bottom. I already had my gun and daggers on me, like I always did, so I just waited, listening to Sam read from Adam Milligan's file.

"Um, born September twenty-ninth, 1990 to Kate Milligan. No father listed on the birth certificate. He's an Eagle Scout." Sam noted. Dean pulled out a gun, Ruby's knife and silver cutlery wrapped in a black cloth. "Graduated from high school with honors and currently goes to the University of Wisconsin—biology major, pre-med." Sam continued and I scowled. So first this guy wanted to take my spot as the youngest in the family but now he was in my field of study too? I didn't like him one bit. Dean shut the trunk.

"Are you guys listening?" Sam asked.

"This is a trap." Dean replied, looking up at Sam. I nodded in agreement.

"It's a big trap." I reiterated, following Dean past Sam. We walked into the diner; the door had an annoying bell on it to alert the staff that there was a new customer, and scanned the place. Dean spotted an empty table in the corner and so we set up camp. He pointed out the window seats to Sam and myself; we both followed his lead, sitting opposite to each other. Dean came to sit beside me, leaving the only spot for Adam in front of Dean and next to Sam.

"I'm telling you guys, the kid checks out." Sam said, putting Dad's journal and Adam's file on the table. Dean was still scanning the diner, whether it be for Adam or unforeseen danger, I wasn't sure.

"Great, so he's an actual person on the planet Earth. Sucks he's got a demon in him." I said, pulling out my gun and resting it beneath my thigh. A waitress named Denise approached up with menus and glasses of water. I took mine from her and smiled.

"Hi. Welcome to Cousin Oliver's." she greeted us happily. "Can I-" she started.

"We're actually waiting on somebody." Dean interrupted and I glared at him. Denise, now annoyed, slapped down the menus in front of Sam and Dean.

"Thank you-" Sam didn't even get a chance to finish because she had walked away in anger. Well done Dean. I pushed my menu to Sam while Dean picked up his glass of water and poured it into the potted plant behind us.

"What are you-" Sam started as Dean put the glass between his knees and pulled out a flask of holy water. He unscrewed the cap and began pouring it in.

"Holy water?" I asked. My plan had been to spill salt but Dean was one step ahead of me.

"Yup." He replied, still pouring. "One sip of Jesus juice, this evil bitch is gonna be in a world of hurt." He said, putting the full glass of water on Adam's spot on the table. He pulled out the wrapped cutlery and began opening the cloth.

"And what if he's not possessed?" Sam asked.

"Then he is a shape-shifter." I answered as Dean swapped Adam's cutlery with the new silver set, placing the old one on the floor.

"Hence the silver." Sam noted, looking back at Dad's journal.

"Look, either way, this thing is gonna bleed." Dean said, anger seeping in. "I mean, using Dad as bait? That's the last mistake of its short, pitiful life." I felt bad. That wasn't the part of this that was making me angry… it was the 'Adam being family' part that irked me. Sam frowned at us and Dean looked over.

"What?" I asked and Sam looked away.

"What?" Dean prodded. This was not the time for Sam to hold back.

"Just...listen. There's an entry in Dad's journal." Sam said, flipping through the journal. "From January of 1990, saying he's headed to Minnesota to check out a case. That's, roughly, oh, about nine months before the kid was born." He informed us and I felt a little sick.

"Coincidence." Dean pointed out.

"Coincidence. Next two pages of the journal—torn out." Sam said. I reached across and grabbed the journal from him, wanting to check for myself.

"You're not actually buying this, are you?" Dean asked Sam disbelievingly.

"Look, man, I don't want to believe it either, I'm just saying it's possible." Sam said and I looked up at him, feeling betrayed. Sam shut the journal and picked it up. "I mean, Dad would be gone for weeks at a time, and he wasn't exactly a monk." He said putting the journal away. That sick feeling was growing within me and I looked away. "I mean, a hunter rolls into town, kills a monster, saves the girl...sometimes the girl's grateful." Sam noted. I gagged, burying my head in my arms on the table.

"Well, now I'm thinking about Dad sex. Stop talking." Dean ordered Sam.

"Maybe he slipped one past the goalie." Sam added. I scrunched up my napkin and threw it Sam's face.

"Dude!" Dean said with disgust.

"Jesus Sam." I exclaimed, trying to shake off the nasty after thoughts. The bell on the door chimed and I looked up to see a young man, with a backpack, walk in. He looked around the diner and I had a feeling this was our guy. I motioned towards him and Sam turned around.

"Adam?" he asked. The guy looked over and Sam raised his hand, ushering him over.

"You Sam?" he asked, walking slowly towards us, holding one strap of his backpack.

"Yeah. Uh, this is Dean." he pointed over at Dean. "And Alexis." I nodded politely, trying to judge his character.

"Hey." He greeted us, setting his backpack on the floor and taking a seat next to Sam. "So, um...how did you know my dad?" he asked. I tried not to get irritated at the fact his supposed dad was my dad.

"Uh, we worked together." Sam answered and Adam didn't really look like he bought it. I was on the verge of turning twenty-two but I did look younger… almost as young as Adam, so it was strange to hear that I may have worked with someone as old as dad.

"How did he die?" Adam asked slowly, looking down.

"On the job." Sam replied.

"He was a mechanic, right?" Adam asked, a little confused.

"A car fell on him." Dean replied, without thinking. The waitress, Denise, seeming much friendlier, approached the table with a glass of water.

"Hey, Adam. How you doing?" she asked, placing the glass of water in front of him. I looked away as Dean leaned forward and took it instead.

"Oh, I'll take that. I'm very thirsty." He said, taking a sip of water. Denise gave Dean a disapproving look before focusing on Adam again. I didn't think he looked like Dad which made me doubt his credibility.

"The usual, Adam?" she asked. He nodded, still seeming a little flustered. So far, Adam hadn't displayed any Winchester charm or confidence either… maybe I was scratching for an excuse to disown him.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Denise." He replied politely. I watched her walk away before Adam took the glass of holy water and brought it to his lips. There was silence as we discretely watched the holy water have no effect on him whatsoever. So he wasn't possessed which still left the shape-shifter option. Adam wiped his mouth the back of his hand and Sam broke the silence.

"So, uh, when's the last time you saw John?" He asked Adam. I placed my hand on my gun for comfort's sake.

"I don't even know. It's...a couple years." He replied.

"Why did you decide to call him now?" Sam asked. I was very aware that neither Dean nor I were making conversation with Adam. Both of us were closed off to him and I was a tiny bit relieved that Dean felt the same way I did.

"I didn't know who else to call. He's the only family I got." Adam said, looking to Sam. Dad wasn't this guy's family. Dad was my dad and I was his angel… end of story. What was his problem anyway; that he needed dad's help? "My mom's missing." He explained, watching our confused faces.

"Really? I'm sorry. Uh, for how long?" Sam asked and I noticed Dean seemed less patient.

"It's tragic, really. But if you're John's kid, how come we've never heard of you?" Dean asked. It was a good question; I mean dad would have brought it up at some point… right?

"'Cause John and me didn't really know each other. Not until a few years ago, anyway." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"My mom never talked about him. I knew some stuff." He answered. What, like 'hunting' stuff?

"What kind of stuff?" Dean asked, thinking along the same lines as me.

"My mom's a nurse, and Dad came into the ER, pretty torn up. Hunting accident or something." Adam explained. This part of the story made a little more sense. "And I knew his name. John Winchester. That's about it. We're not exactly a nuclear family."

"Yeah, well, who is these days?" Sam offered sympathetically.

"So, when did you, uh, when did you finally meet him?" Dean asked, barely waiting for Sam to finish.

"When I was twelve. My mom had one of his old numbers, and, and after I begged her—God, twenty-four-seven—she finally called him. God, when John heard he had a son, he raced to town. I mean, he dropped everything. He drove all night." Adam said. I hated hearing this. I hated hearing that there was someone other than myself, Sam or Dean that Dad cared about so much. It couldn't be true.

"There you go." Denise said, placing the plate of food in front of Adam.

"Thanks." He replied. Sam glanced over at me.

"Well, that's heartwarming." Dean smiled sarcastically but Adam would never pick up on it. He pointed to his food.

"You mind?" he asked us.

"Please, dig in." Dean smiled; we were all waiting to see his reaction to silver. I tightened my grip on my gun and aimed it at Adam, underneath the table. He was sitting next to Sam so if he did react to the silver, we had to act fast. Adam pulled the napkin from beneath the cutlery without touching the silverware. Dean straightened up while Adam laid out the napkin on his lap.

"He would swing by once a year or so." He told us, finally picking up the cutlery and not reacting to it. Damn it… he wasn't a shifter either, so what the hell was he? Dean glanced away, disappointed. "You know, called when he could. But still..." Adam took a bite of his food. "He taught me poker and pool and even bought me my first beer when I was fifteen." I looked down in anger. "And, uh...he showed me how to drive. Dad, he had this beautiful 'sixty-seven Impala-" Oh my God.

"Oh, this is crap. You know what, you're lying." Luckily Dean said it before I could.

"No, I'm not." Adam defended himself, confused as to why Dean would refute his claim.

"Uh, yeah, you are." Dean shot back.

"I'm sorry, but who the hell are you to call me a liar?" Adam asked, a little pissed.

"We're John Winchester's kids, that's who." He pointed to Sam, me and then himself. "We are his kids." Adam stared at Dean, then at me, then at Sam and then back at Dean. He was definitely going through some stuff at the moment.

"I'm your brother?" he asked us, shocked.

"No, you're not." Dean shot him down immediately. "Look, man, I don't know if you're a hunter or what kind of game you're playing here." Dean started.

"I have never been hunting in my life." Adam interrupted, sounding a little distraught.

"Whatever. I'm out of here. Come on, Sam, Lex." Dean said, grabbing my arm, before getting up to leave. I looked at Adam who was watching me leave.

"I can prove it." He said.

* * *

I stared at the framed picture of Adam and Dad at the baseball game. Sam and Dean stood on either side of me, looking on in disbelief as well. I still hadn't spoken to Adam yet, feeling that the second I did, I would have partly accepted that he was a Winchester.

"He took you to a baseball game?" Dean asked, his voice laced with a little jealously. It was no surprise… I never expected much from Dad but Sam and Dean on the other hand, had always wanted part of a normal childhood. Adam's relationship with dad was like a slap in the face, to Dean especially.

"Yeah, when I turned fourteen. Dad was around for a few of my birthdays." Adam explained. Sam held open Dad's journal and Dean took the photo from me.

"September twenty-ninth, two thousand and four. One word. 'Minnesota.'" Sam read out. Dean still looked pretty upset.

"He took you to a freakin' baseball game?" Dean asked again, irritated.

"Yeah." Adam smiled. "Why? What'd Dad do with you on your birthday?" he asked, taking the picture back. Oh, I don't know… took him hunting?

"Oh..." Dean scoffed, frowning. Adam looked to me and I looked to Sam, not wanting to meet his gaze. I realized I was unknowingly giving Adam the silent treatment.

"Adam, you said you called Dad because your mom was missing." Sam said.

"Yeah." He replied, his face dropping a little at the mention of his mother.

"How long has she been gone?" Sam asked again.

"Three days." He replied.

"Who was the last person to see her?" Dean asked him, the reality of the situation setting in a little.

"Mr. Abbinanti, our neighbor. He saw her come home Tuesday night, but she never showed up to work on Wednesday." He replied. I glanced around, looking for any signs of struggle. I couldn't deal with Adam at the moment so I was going to focus on what I did best… hunting and working a case.

"Did you call the police?" Sam asked.

"Mom's supervisor at the hospital did. And then I drove down here as fast as I could." Adam paused and his eyes got a little teary. "I should have been here." He said. I felt bad for him in the sense his mom was missing… apart from that, my defenses were still up. He was not a part of our family.

"What'd the, uh, what'd the cops say?" Dean asked. Adam looked to me again, probably thinking I was mute at this point. He didn't want me to start talking… he'd be sorry when I did open my mouth and offer my opinion.

"That they, uh, they searched the house. They didn't find anything." He said, pausing again. He was getting emotional over his mother's disappearance. "She wouldn't leave without telling anybody. It's like she just dropped off the face of the earth, you know?" he said helplessly.

Well, I guess it was time to search this house.

I walked into the guest bedroom and checked the windows and closets. There was no sign of distress nor were there any supernatural omens that could shed some light on what was going on. However, I did find a framed photo of Adam and Dad. It felt strange to think Dad was close to Adam when we were his kids – it just didn't seem right. I moved back in to the kitchen where Sam and Adam were.

"So, you're a mechanic too?" Adam asked and I looked up, realizing he was talking to me. Sam glanced over and smirked, noticing my discomfort at having to converse.

"Yeah, I work the business." I replied. Adam nodded a little at the fact that I was responding. I made my way to Kate's bedroom where Dean was standing in front of her dresser. Adam followed closely behind and Dean turned around as we approached.

"The, uh, nightstand was knocked over. Was there anything else?" Dean asked Adam as I came to stand by his side.

"Oh, not really. The sheriff said there's no sign of a break-in." Adam replied. I looked around the room, still searching. "What, you think the cops missed something?" he asked.

"Maybe. Yeah. They don't have my eyes." Dean replied, walking to the window.

"You're a mechanic." Adam pointed out. I walked to the other end of the bed, checking the cornices.

"Yeah. That's right." Dean replied, like that was reason enough to snoop around. Adam hesitated, clearly wanting to say something. There was a silence before he spoke again.

"What else can you tell me about Dad?" he asked the both of us, hesitantly. Honestly, I didn't want to say anything to Adam about dad.

"You knew him." Dean replied, trying to shrug off the fact we all shared a father.

"Not as well as you two." Adam pointed out. As terrible as it sounded, it made me feel better.

"Trust me, kid, you don't want to know." Dean replied. Adam had seen the happy dad… not the one we had to live with. Sam appeared at the door, holding a handful of papers. I walked past Dean and Adam, wanting some answers which I was sure Sam had.

"Give us a minute." Dean said to Adam, following us out into the hall way.

"You talk to the cops?" I asked Sam.

"Yeah. Like Adam said, no leads on his mom." Sam replied.

"Shocker there." I muttered.

"But I did find this." Sam flipped through the papers and found a cop of the 'Windom Gazette' dated back to January 9, 1990. The headline was 'Missing Bodies Found' with the subtitle 'Seventeen bodies recovered from abandoned shed'. "Um...here. In nineteen ninety, there were seventeen grave robberies in Windom." Sam pointed out.

"You think that's why Dad came through here?" Dean asked.

"I'd check it out. Seventeen… that's a lot." I replied.

"Check it out." Sam pointed to the photo in the article. Dean and I both squinted, getting a better look. Dad was standing in the background of the photo, confirming he was here for a hunt.

"All right, so he was hunting something. What?" I asked, looking up at Sam.

"No idea. Those were the pages he threw out of the journal. But last month, the corpse snatching started up again. Three bodies from the local cemetery." Sam explained.

"So whatever he was after, he didn't kill it. It's back." Dean pointed out. I shook my head.

"It doesn't sound like Dad to leave a hunt unfinished." I said to them. "He wouldn't just up and leave without knowing whatever he was hunting was dead." Dean nodded.

"Maybe it's unmarked turf for the taking?" Dean suggested.

"Whatever it is, it's stepped up its game to fresh meat? I mean, Kate's missing, and, uh-" Sam flipped to a picture of a bald man wearing glasses. "So is a local bartender—a guy named Joe Barton." He said. Dean took the photo and walked back into Kate's room where Adam was sitting on her bed.

"Hey, does your mom know Joe Barton?" Dean asked, holding up the photo.

"Uh, I don't think so. Why?" Adam asked. Damn, it would have helped if Adam knew the connection. My eyes travelled downwards and I noticed something beneath the bed. There were scratches on the wooden floor, leading under the bed. I tapped Dean's arm and he followed my eyes to the floor.

"What is it?" Adam asked as Dean moved closer for a better look.

"Watch out." Dean said as he got on his knees and looked under the bed. Adam stood up, making room for him. "Give me a hand with the mattress." He told Adam, tossing the pillows aside. They moved the mattress off the bed frame to reveal a large vent beneath the bed. It was large enough for a person to fit through. Jackpot.

Sam looked at the vent and Dean looked at Sam. They raised their fists and battled it out with rock-paper-scissors. As usual, Sam picked rock and Dean picked scissors… no surprise there. Sam smirked and Dean waved his arm in frustration before putting his hands on his hips.

"Every time." He remarked. Oh no, these two were not stealing this from me. If I didn't get an adrenaline rush in the next fifteen minutes, I was going to go into cardiac arrest.

"Step aside Mr. Wayne, I'll take this one." I said walking ahead of Dean and pushing the bed frame out of the way. Dean smiled at me as I opened the vent. He handed me the torch and I discretely pulled out my gun, hiding it from Adam's view. I put my legs in the vent, and lowered myself down.

The vents were fairly clean but still dark. The drop was about six feet and so I hit the bottom in no time. I curled up, now moving forward instead of down. It was a cramped space and although Dean would have fit, it would have been difficult for him to move around. I followed the vent forward in an army crawl and noticed dry blood on the sides.

This was definitely a supernatural hunt.

I crawled to the T-junction ahead and peeked right. There was another vent cover, undisturbed meaning whatever passed through here, came from the left. I kept the gun ready and kicked forward, aiming the torch light and the gun to the left. I was met with huge streaks of blood, bits of flesh, bone and hair, all scattered down the left duct.

We had a problem on our hands.

* * *

**Dean**

"Step aside Mr. Wayne, I'll take this one." Lex said walking ahead of me and pushing the bed frame out of the way. I smiled at her as she opened the vent; only Lex would willingly lower herself into the 'vent of death' for fun. I handed her the torch and watched her pull her gun out before diving in.

"You're just going to let her go in there by herself?" Adam asked us, clearly shocked and leaning forward to see Lex's head disappear.

"Yeah." Sam replied, shining his torch down the vent.

"But she's… so small" Adam pointed out like it made any difference. I glanced at Sam before looking back at Adam. We hardly ever had to look after Lex, the little monster was so freaking independent sometimes it scared me.

"She can handle herself fine." I told him, not bothering to point out she could knock him on his ass any day.

"What do you expect her to find?" he asked us. The possibilities were endless… sulfur, ectoplasm, skin, blood, bones, hair; the list could go on. If Lex did bump into anything else, Sam and I would be right behind her.

"Hey, guys?" she called from beneath. I walked to the other side of the vent and bent down.

"What's going on?" Sam asked as we heard her crawl back towards the opening.

"We've got ourselves somewhat of a… messy situation down here." She said as her face finally came into view. 'Blood' she mouthed to us, pointing behind her. I looked to Sam, both of us knowing this wasn't good news for Adam.

"Okay, let's get you up." I said, reaching down and she held her arms out to us. I held her hand and Sam took the other, both of us standing up and pulling her up.

"What do you mean by 'messy situation'? Adam asked Lex.

This was not going to be easy to explain.

* * *

**Lex**

I couldn't take my mind off dad having another son. I wondered if Sam and Dean hated the situation as much as I did.

"What do you think of the youngest Winchester?" I asked Dean while he cleaned the shot gun. I sat opposite him on the other bed, reassembling the cleaned guns while Sam sat the table, researching as always. I was referring to Adam, wondering if Dean had accepted he was one of us.

"I think she drives me crazy." He replied looking up at me and I smiled in return. Adam had nothing on me. There was a knock on the door and Dean turned his head just as I looked up. Sam walked over and opened the door.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam asked, barging in past Sam.

"Adam, hey." Sam said closing the door while Dean pulled the cloth over the shot gun and I hid mine under the pillow. "Take it easy." He said.

"No, don't tell me to take it easy, okay?" Adam was agitated. "My house is a crime scene, my mom's probably dead, and you three-" he stopped walking. "-well, you tell me to call the cops, but you got to bail before they show? So, who are you really?" he asked us, his face going through several emotions at once. There was silence as I looked to Dean and Dean looked to Sam. I didn't know what to say to him and honestly, I didn't want to involve him in our lives. Once you knew, there was no going back.

"Cops didn't know where to look for my mom, Alexis, but you did." Adam looked directly at me with those hurt eyes. "And I heard you talking earlier—something about grave robberies." He said to the three of us before glancing down at the cloth beside Dean. He saw the tip of the shotgun and he looked back over at Sam. "You're not mechanics. I just want to know what's going on." He begged. I wasn't going to open my mouth. Adam could complain all he wanted but his ignorance would prolong his life by years. "Please." He begged again. Dean wasn't saying anything and I had a feeling the plan was to just let Adam leave after getting no answers from us.

"We're hunters." Sam told him. I shut my eyes and put my head in my hand. Sam!

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed, equally shocked that Sam had just revealed our secret at the flick of a switch.

"He deserves to know." Sam directed at us.

"Yeah, I don't know about that." I said to Sam pointedly.

"What do you mean, 'hunters'?" Adam asked looking between us. Dean shook his head in annoyance at Sam. Where did we even begin?

* * *

"Okay, so...basically, you're saying that every movie monster, every nightmare that I've ever had, that's all real?" Adam asked, sitting opposite Sam. Dean and I were sitting at the table, watching Sam attempt to explain our lives to Adam; to his credit, he'd done a pretty good job so far.

"Godzilla's just a movie." Dean said from beside me.

"Prove it." I muttered, looking over at Adam who was acting considerably normal for someone who'd just learnt about monsters.

"We hunt them. So did Dad." Sam informed him. Adam nodded in response and Dean gave me and exasperated look, clearly not enjoying this at all.

"Okay." Adam said quietly. Well, that wasn't what I was expecting.

"'Okay'? That's it?" Dean asked skeptically.

"What am I supposed to say?" Adam asked.

"That we're liars, that we're crazy. Nobody just says 'okay.'" Dean shot at him.

"Well, you're my family. You're telling me the truth, right?" he asked. I looked at Dean, knowing full well if I'd been in Adam's place, I'd never have trusted us so quickly. This kid was either really stupid or he had a gut feeling about us.

"Yeah." Sam replied.

"Then I believe you. Now, what took my mom?" he asked.

"We're not sure. Something's in town stealing bodies, living and dead, but we don't know what." Sam replied.

"There's a long list of freaks that fit the bill." Dean explained and I groaned internally, not wanting to discuss the case with Adam. He wasn't ready; he didn't know what he was doing and I was going to avoid conversing with him unless absolutely necessary.

"You think maybe she might still be alive?" he asked. 'No' was my immediate answer but that seemed insensitive. Dean looked down and so did Sam, pretty much giving Adam the answer he needed. I held his gaze for a while before he looked away. "Oh." He breathed. "How can I help?" he asked.

"You can't." I replied. The quicker he moved on, the quicker we could get down to work.

"This thing killed my mom. If you're hunting it, I want in." Adam said to me.

"No." Dean said firmly, taking my side.

"Dean, Lex, look, maybe-" Sam started.

"Maybe what?" I asked Sam. I didn't need an imbecile on the case; screwing up and getting us killed.

"He lost his mother. Maybe we can understand what that feels like." Sam pointed out. Dean stood up with Dad's journal in his hand.

"Why do you think Dad never told us about this kid, Sam? Huh? Why do you think he ripped out the pages?" Dean asked walking towards Sam and Adam.

"Because-"

"Because he was protecting him!" Dean said loudly, interrupting Sam, and holding up the journal as proof.

"Dad's dead, Dean." Sam pointed out.

"That doesn't matter! He didn't want Adam to have our lives, okay? And we are gonna respect his wishes." Dean almost yelled. This wasn't about dad… Adam couldn't just become a hunter overnight.

"Do I get a say in this?" Adam asked.

"No!" Sam said it and Dean yelled it. Great, just what I needed… Sam and Dean arguing… thanks Adam. Dean headed to the door.

"Babysit the kid." He told Sam. "Lex." He called me to follow him.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked him as Dean grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going out!" he yelled in frustration before leaving and slamming the door shut behind him. Sam sighed and I got up, out of my seat, ready to do my part.

"Is he always like that?" Adam asked and I felt my blood pressure rise a little. Sam laughed.

"Welcome to the family." Sam said.

"Dean's got a point." I said sternly, defending Dean, before walking out the door too. I caught him just as he was about to get in the car.

"You coming with?" he asked me, pausing at the door. I shook my head, with my hands in my pockets.

"I think I should keep an eye on these two." I said to him, knowing that Sam was going to do something stupid if Dean and I weren't around. Dean nodded, calming slightly.

"Right." He muttered, getting into the car. I watched him drive off before I walked back into the room. I almost did a double take when I saw Adam holding Sam's gun. There was no way in hell I was letting the kid get his hands on gun so quickly. I walked past Sam and snatched the gun out of Adam's hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked Sam, placing the gun on the adjacent bed. Dean was right… we needed more than a day to teach Adam how to be, not even a good, but a useful hunter.

"Lex, if he wants to learn, I'm going to teach him." Sam told me, picking up the gun again and handing it to Adam who looked unsure about taking it from him.

"Sam, he's a liability. He doesn't know shit about hunting!" I exclaimed, taking the gun from Sam, again.

"If you just gave me a shot-" Adam started. I put my hand out and stopped him from continuing.

"I know you're not ready and you won't be in time to hunt this thing." I said to him before looking back at Sam. "He doesn't have the speed or the stamina to keep up not to mention combat and weaponry." I pointed out to him. "He'll be eaten alive… literally" Adam stood up, a little annoyed at me but I didn't care; I was protecting him.

"And you're so much better?" he asked me skeptically. Sam's face dropped and a small smile crept up on my face. Adam was messing with the wrong Winchester… he was underestimating the wrong Winchester.

"Let me tell you what." I said, pulling Adam to the middle of the room. "I'll give you a minute. If you can hit me, I'll consider giving you the gun." I said to him, standing straight with my hands by my side. Adam scoffed at me and looked to Sam.

"I'm not going to hit you." He said to me. I nodded.

"I know you're not." I replied, confident that Adam wouldn't get his hands on me in the next minute.

"This is crazy." He exclaimed looking to Sam who just raised his eyebrows.

"I specialize in crazy." I told Adam. "You want to hold that gun, you've got to prove to me you're worth it." I said to him.

"Sam?" Adam asked, still reluctant to hit me.

"Go ahead." Sam told him, and I waited patiently for Adam to try. He looked back to me and sighed uneasily before he went to shove my shoulder. I simply stepped aside, unimpressed with his speed. Adam tried again and I just stepped aside once again. I watched the irritation grow in his eyes. He swiped again, this time with a closed fist and slightly harder but I dodged it too.

"Faster and stronger." I said to him and he gritted his teeth, packing a full punch to my face. I twisted to the side but Adam didn't stop. He threw three more punches which I easily dodged, producing a low growl from him. He charged at me again, just trying to hit me anywhere but I simply twisted out of his way. He was too slow. He struck at me again and I moved out of the way like we were choreographed dancers.

Seeing as my minute was ending, I thought I was time to show Adam what he was really in for. I blocked his next strike, punched him the face and spun him against the wall, keeping him retrained with his arm behind his back, almost at the point of shoulder-dislocation.

"Not ready." I said to him, glancing over at Sam before letting Adam go. He shrugged me off and turned around in anger. Sam stood up and handed Adam the gun anyway.

"Sam, you just saw-" I started but Sam stopped me.

"Yeah, and I'm still teaching him how to use a gun." He said to me with determination. I looked over at Adam who was still a little mad because I punched him.

This was not good.

* * *

Sam had gone to get us some coffee, leaving me alone with Adam. I sat on my bed, sharpening my daggers while Adam sat on the other bed, practicing disassembling a gun. He was getting there slowly but he wouldn't be ready in time to hunt. I knew that, Dean knew that, even Sam knew that but I didn't understand why Sam was so willing to throw Adam to the wolves.

"So, did dad teach you how to fight?" Adam asked. I looked up from my daggers at him; he seemed much calmer now.

"No," I replied, twisting the daggers in my hand. "Dad taught Sam and Dean. They taught me." I put the dagger down and moved onto the next one.

"You guys seem like you know what you're doing." He remarked, his thoughts probably on Dean.

"We started learning how to fight when we were kids. We grew up in this." I explained. "Which is exactly why you shouldn't be a part of this." I muttered as an afterthought. Adam heard what I said.

"I'm doing this for my mom." He said to me and I looked up at him.

"Yeah, I know, but you are so unprepared, it's like offering you up on a silver platter." I told him honestly. He looked upset at the fact I wasn't giving him a chance. I sighed, realizing I should put it into perspective for him. "What you're doing now-" I indicated to him disassembling the gun, "I had that perfected by the age of nine." He looked down at the half assembled gun. "I was faster than Sam and Dean by age eleven, I learnt how to sniper by age fourteen, I learnt complete control over knife and dagger combat by age sixteen and I could kick both my brother's asses by age eighteen." I told him as he watched me. "The only reason I fight alongside them is because I am just as good as them… if I were any worse; any sort of burden at all, I wouldn't be on the hunt." I finished, hoping he would understand the severity of hunting; all dangers included. There was a long silence before Adam spoke again.

"Were you close to dad?" he asked me. Oh, I felt my heart clench at the thought.

"Not as close as Dean." I told Adam. Although Sam and Dad got into the most fights, I argued with Dad a lot of the time too. The only difference was I never wanted to go away to college. If I had though, my relationship with dad might've been worse than Sam's relationship with dad.

"Dean doesn't like me, does he?" Adam asked quietly. The answer was 'yes', just like I didn't like Adam being one of us but I had to be diplomatic.

"Dean's just trying to what's best for you. He's protecting you." I explained. That was what Dean always did; protect. "Dad raised us in this life; you get a chance to do something different." I put my other dagger away and sat back, watching Adam with the gun. "A hunter's life is short and painful." I explained, though I felt differently. I loved my life as a hunter but I knew other hunters didn't.

"So...how did Dad really die?" Adam asked me. I looked down, hating to relive it.

"Demon." I replied.

"You hunted it down? Got revenge?" he asked.

"Dean killed it." I said, looking up at him.

"So it's over for you." He said. This is what I meant… once you're in, there's no going back.

"It's never over." I told him as the door opened and Sam entered, holding the coffee's. "Sammy." I said with relief, smiling at the caffeine fix.

"Dean's not back yet-?" he started. The lights went out and I looked up at the ceiling. There was a rattling noise in the walls. Something was here; Sam and I knew it as we glanced at each other.

"What the-" Adam started.

"Shh." Sam said as he put the coffee's down and picked up the shotgun. I took out my gun as we both stood up. "Cover him." He told me, pointing to Adam, as he approached the bathroom. He opened the door and cleared the four corners; there was nothing in there, which meant it was out here somewhere. A noise came from above and I aimed my gun at the ceiling, pushing Adam behind me. Sam came back out as the noise started again… it came from the vent near the ceiling. I shut out all the noises around me and aimed at the vent.

"It's in the vents. Go!" Sam said to Adam pushing him out the door. I fired twice before following them out, right behind Adam. We ran along the walkway and then hurried down the stairs, Sam leading the way. When I got to the bottom, I stopped and turned, making sure there was nothing following us.

"Where's your car?" Sam asked.

"Over here." Adam pointed it out.

"All right, keys." Sam asked and Adam threw them to him.

"Here." Adam went for the passenger side of the truck while Sam went to drive. I was still facing the motel, not willing to take my eyes off it until Sam had the car open. I heard Sam struggling and turned in time to see him fall to the floor and get pulled by his ankles, under the car.

"Sam." I breathed as I saw him grab the bottom of the truck, trying to pull back. I rushed forward and grabbed his arm, trying to hold him at bay.

"Sam!" Adam yelled, coming to help us. I heard the sound of a car pull up behind us but my attention was on Sam. I heaved backwards but whatever had him was holding on tight. Adam's arm was inches from the truck and I watched a shadow move towards it.

"Dean, help!" Adam yelled as he grabbed Sam. Dean?

"Adam, move!" I yelled, shoving his hand away from the shadow. Before I knew it, it had grabbed my arm instead and was pulling me under the car. Double shit.

"Sam!" I yelled, trying to pull my hand free but I couldn't. Sam was still getting dragged under too, the both of us trying to kick away. I felt a hand grip my leg and forcefully pull me back. I collapsed in Sam's lap, with his arm looped around my waist. Dean grabbed the dropped shotgun and fired beneath the car. There was silence after that while we caught out breath… Dean was kneeling beside the car, shotgun in hand just to be safe. He looked to us; wanting to make sure we were okay. I dropped my head back on Sam's shoulder… what had just happened?

* * *

Dean backed Adam's truck out of the parking space revealing an open sewer gate. I aimed my gun at it and approached slowly while Dean put the truck into park. Sam and Adam were waiting by the hood of the Impala as Dean finally came to my side, shot gun in hand. Whatever had been here; was long gone by now.

Dean crouched down at the edge of the opening and touched some of the dark liquid but by the smell, I could tell it was blood. He stood up and walked back to the Impala.

"I winged it. Did you see anything?" he asked us as he opened the car door and put the shotgun inside. I tucked my gun back into my holster too.

"I didn't get a good look." Sam replied.

"Same here, just saw a shadow." I told Dean as I walked up to them.

"What the hell is this thing?" Dean asked, annoyed.

"Why—who—should we go after it?" Adam asked, unsure of what to do now.

"No, no. In that maze? That thing's long gone." Dean replied.

"All right, so, we don't know what it is, but we do know who it's going after." Sam pointed out. "Joe Barton, Adam's mom-"

"And Adam." I finished. "It was under his truck, just waiting for him." I noted. "Tricky son of a bitch." I said looking up at Dean who nodded.

"It set a trap, and I walked right into it." Sam said, annoyed that he'd been bested.

"Doesn't matter. You're right—there's a pattern." Dean told us. "Joe Barton was a cop. I'm pretty sure he helped out Dad. So we've got him, Dad's girl, and his son." He pointed over at Adam.

"All the people Dad knew in town." Sam noted.

"At least we know why it's back." I said, looking over at Adam.

"It wants revenge." He said, staring off ahead. Sam and Dean looked at Adam.

* * *

The four of us entered the Milligan house with Adam leading the way. We were about to skip town to get Adam away from the danger.

"Grab your stuff. We'll hit the road." Dean told Adam who flipped on the lights and headed upstairs. We walked into the kitchen and Sam took a seat at the table, lifting his hurt ankle onto the chair. I leaned again the sink top, rubbing my bruised wrist lightly.

"He shouldn't leave." Sam said, looking up at Dean.

"Yeah, let's keep him here, where his mom got ganked. Good one." Dean said sarcastically.

"I'm serious." Sam said and Dean frowned at him.

"No, Sam, Lex is gonna take the kid to Bobby's, and you and me are gonna finish what Dad started." Dean said. My eyes narrowed at Dean.

"Did you say Lex?" I asked him. He looked over at me and nodded.

"Yes." he replied and I stood up straight.

"You're putting me on babysitting duty?" I asked him incredulously.

"You can help us hunt this thing when you get back." He said. Sam stopped moving, and looked up, a bandage in his hand.

"How? We got no leads, no witnesses." Sam said. "We do have what this thing wants." I looked back at Sam… did he want to lure the thing out using Adam?

"You want to use the kid as bait? That's why you want to stay here?" Dean asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Maybe this thing will come back. We could train Adam," Sam paused, a new look crossing his face. "get him ready." Was Sam freaking stupid?

"He could die, Sam." I said pointedly.

"We could all die, Lex." Sam shot back. "Even if we do kill this thing, there are tons of other freaks that want revenge, on Dad, on us. What if they find the kid instead and he's not ready?" Sam asked, unrolling the bandage and placing it on his ankle.

"I'll do it." I turned around to see Adam standing in the hallway with his backpack. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it. I want to do it." He said. I looked to Dean and then Sam… this couldn't be happening.

* * *

I was miserable. Sam was teaching Adam how to shoot a gun and it was killing me. The kid had no idea what hunting actually entailed and here he was, in the abandoned field, ready to shoot at the 'no trespassing' sign on which Sam had spray-painted a bull's eye.

Here was the evil confession… I was jealous. Not of the relationship Adam had with dad, not with the life Adam got to live but because both my brothers were solely focused on the new addition to the family and I felt he was taking my place. It sounded so childish but it was annoying the crap out of me. Sam wanted to teach Adam our way of life and Dean was overly concerned about his safety. Adam was replacing me and that feeling coupled with Chuck's words about how I wasn't supposed to exist, made me feel like a complete outsider.

The small hate I had for Adam scared me. My lack of empathy, my clinical thinking… all of it made me a good hunter but my morality was screwed. My lust for hunting and killing… the surge of power I got when taking a life… it was unnatural. Maybe Adam was a better addition to this family than I would ever be. At least he had feelings unlike the emotionless robot I was.

"You look pissed." Dean said from beside me. We were both sitting on the hood of the Impala, watching Sam and Adam at the shooting range. I hadn't realized he had been watching me too.

"I am." I replied. He glanced over at me.

"That makes two of us." he said, still irritated. Sam shot three times, hitting the bull's-eye each time.

"Whoa." Adam stood beside him with his hands in his pockets, amazed at Sam's skills.

"It's easy. Just feel the recoil and time the trigger pulls. Three taps." Sam told him before handing him the gun.

"Yeah?" Adam asked, watching the gun.

"He's going to shoot himself in the foot." I remarked to Dean, annoyed.

"Go ahead." Sam encouraged Adam. He took the gun from Sam, aimed it at the sign and fired three times. The shots were alright but not good enough by my standards or Dean's. Sam on the other grinned, happy that Adam had hit the sign. Dean shook his head and looked away.

"Beginner's luck, right?" Adam asked. No, because the shots were nowhere near perfect.

"Nah, man. You're a natural. Good shooting." Sam said, patting Adam on the back. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Fuck this." I said standing up and walking towards Sam. I pulled out one of my daggers.

"Lex." Dean sighed from behind me but I ignored him, the blood pumping furiously through me.

"This is bullshit Sam." I called to him and both he and Adam turned to face me. Adam's eyes immediately went to the dagger in my hand and he stepped back instinctively. "Adam, anything we hunt isn't going to be just waiting for you to shoot it… either you'll move…" Adam's back hit the tree behind him as I approached. "…or it will." I twisted the dagger between my fingers before flinging it at Adam. It spun through the air, towards Adam, and embedded itself in the tree, half an inch from his face.

"Alexis!" Sam yelled from behind. I walked forward so I was face to face with Adam.

"You have the choice to walk away. Take it." I told him. "For what it's worth, you're my little brother and I will not have your blood on my hands." I pulled the dagger from the tree and Adam watched me with wide eyes. "This life isn't for you."

"I don't back away from a fight so easily." Adam said, holding my gaze. I ignored any jealous feelings I had towards Adam and focused on his safety instead.

"You don't realize what sacrifices you'll have to make for this." I told him. He'd have to leave his whole life behind if he joined us in our fight. "You're not ready."

* * *

"So, then we lit it on fire." Sam explained the Rougarou case to Adam. His eyes lit up at the thought. Sam had very quickly pulled me away from Adam at the shooting range, worried I might throw another dagger at his beloved younger brother. My concerns were disregarded by Sam and he had continued to teach Adam hunting.

"With a homemade flamethrower?" Adam asked. Sam smirked at his enthusiasm.

"Yeah. They're easy to build. I'll show you." He said. The possibility of Adam joining us was getting more and more real with each passing minute.

"That is some job you got, man." Adam remarked.

"Being a hunter isn't a job, Adam. It's life." Sam told Adam and I glanced at Dean with a quizzical expression. Was Sam really giving this speech? "You're pre-med. You got a girlfriend, friends?" he asked. Adam nodded in response. "Not anymore you don't. If you're really gonna do this, you can't have those kinds of connections, ever. They're weaknesses. You'll just put those people in danger, get them killed."

Sam had a point but I never thought he would be so tough about hunting. He made it sound like a chore. Dean looked away, confused as well.

"That's the price we pay. You cut 'em out, and you don't look back. There's only one thing you can count on. Family." Sam finished his depressing speech with solemn but determined eyes. And I thought I had been the buzz kill today.

"Sam." Dean called to him and Sam looked over at him. "Can I talk to you?" he asked, standing up and leaving the room. Sam cast me a glance before following, leaving Adam and me alone.

"Do they do that a lot?" Adam asked me. No matter how cold I was towards him, the kid kept trying.

"Yeah, perks of being the younger sibling." I said.

"You're really good at throwing knives." Adam commended me, trying to make peace.

"It was a dagger and that's the kind of precision you need to stay alive." I informed him nonchalantly.

"Are you just as good with a gun?" he asked.

"You stand against that wall and I can show you the width of your neck using two bullets." I replied, smiling at the thought of actually proving it to him.

"Holy crap." He scoffed in disbelief. I looked to him, trying to figure out his angle. "What?" he asked me, noticing my stare. I shook my head.

"I don't get you." I admitted. "I clearly have a problem with this… why are you still trying?" I asked him. He looked down and smiled.

"Sam said it takes you about a day to warm up to someone." He admitted. Gee, thanks Sam. "And I figure, better having a crazy sister than no sister at all." Adam was turning out to be more mature than I was… which made me feel even worse.

"You're a good kid." I told him, crossing my legs on the table.

"But you still don't want me to hunt." He stated with a raised eyebrow.

"For your safety." I clarified. He looked away.

"Really? It's got nothing to do with you not liking me?" he asked me. My head shot up as the words came out if his mouth.

"What?" I asked him. Did he know about my fears of being replaced as the baby of the family? He smiled uneasily at me.

"Sam also said not to take you too seriously because you were a little jealous." Adam told me. I crossed my arms and leaned forward.

"Jealous of what exactly?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Adam looked a little uncomfortable.

"Me taking your place." He replied. Damn it Sam… my brother knew me a little too well. "If it's uh… any consolation, I was a little jealous of you." He admitted.

"Why?" I asked, a little confused.

"Growing up, I would have killed to have older brothers that looked out for me like Sam and Dean look out for you." He replied. I felt my heart sink a little. "It seems like they've always got your back." He said, longing in his eyes.

"Lex!" Dean called from the hallway. I looked to Adam; I guess it did take a day for me to warm up to new people. I held his gaze for a moment before getting up and making my way to Sam and Dean.

"What?" I asked, approaching my brothers. Both of them seemed tense, like they'd had a fight, which was no real surprise.

"You and I are going to the cemetery." Dean informed me, glaring at Sam. Finally, we were going to take care of this thing. I may not have liked Adam but I did have a responsibility as his older sister to keep him safe. That's all I was going to keep telling myself.

* * *

"What's up with you and Sam?" I asked Dean. It was the middle of the night and we were driving down the main road to the cemetery where Dean was sure he was going to find something useful. I was still conflicted between Adam being an annoying obstacle in my life and accepting that he was family that needed my help… I didn't know how to feel.

"He's being an idiot." Dean replied in a gruff voice, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah, you don't have to tell me twice." I muttered. "I mean teaching the guy how to hunt? When did he become dad?" I asked, turning to face Dean in exasperation.

"Turns out Sam thinks dad was right all along." Dean replied. Sam thought dad had been right? No freaking way.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, 'Dad did right by us' is what he said." Dean said, shaking his head slightly. I couldn't even comprehend what was going on. That wasn't like Sam at all…he hated dad for forcing the hunting life on him.

"He actually said that?" I asked, staring out the window as we approached the cemetery.

"He said a lot more than that." Dean mumbled, turning into the car park. So Sam thought it was appropriate we forced Adam to be prepared against everything that went bump in the night. Seeing as he really was our brother, it would have helped immensely for him to be able to defend himself rather than letting every other kind of evil taking him hostage in a ruse to get to us. Sooner or later the monsters and demons would figure out Adam was family and then he'd be in a world of trouble… Sam had a valid point. Then again, I didn't want Adam to join us.

"He should know how to fight but we don't have time to train him." I said to Dean, not bothering to tell him how insanely jealous I was. Dean put the Impala into park and looked over at me.

"You know Lex, for the most part you're a freaking genius and then there are times like this when I just don't get you." Dean said, narrowing his eyes at me. What the fuck was he on about? He kept his incredulous gaze on me. "Sam and I know you better than you know yourself; do you really think we don't know exactly why you don't want Adam around?" He asked pointedly, watching me. Holy shit. Was I really that transparent?

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb and hoping Dean hadn't figured out the childish reasons behind my actions over the past few days.

"That look." He said pointing to my face. "It's been in your eyes ever since Adam called. You think the kid's more important to us than you." He said straight out. It shocked me to hear Dean say it so plainly and I was even more ashamed that my feelings were so easily read but it was the truth. There were a million other things we should have been worrying about… more important things but Sam and Dean had dropped all that for Adam.

I looked down, avoiding Dean's eyes. How could I explain to him everything I was feeling? How could I tell him that maybe I wasn't meant to be a part of this family and that I felt like an intruder, given what Chuck and Alastair had told me?

"No, I don't think that." I said, looking back up at Dean. "I really think it's too late for Adam to join us in the fight. We have more pressing matters as hand." I explained, still avoiding the complete truth.

"He's family Lex… we gotta do this for him, he's one of us." Dean said warily and I felt a spark of rage.

"No, he's not." I argued, gritting my teeth. Dean watched me, confusion setting in.

"He's blood." Dean reiterated. "He's a Winchester." I had a whole list of arguments against that statement but the next thing I felt was a blinding pain in my temple.

"Lex?" I heard Dean's voice but it was distant. I felt arms grab my shoulders and suddenly all I could see was white. I didn't know where I was but if I had to take a guess, I'd say heaven. Dean wasn't with me anymore.

"Alexis." I heard a voice from behind me and so naturally I spun around defensively, ready to fight. Once my eyes adjusted to the figure before me, I realized no violence was necessary… I was in the presence of a friend. A friend I had believed was dead.

"Nate?" I asked, not believing my eyes. The green-eyed angel with the messy chestnut hair stood smiling not even two strides away. He had a few cuts on his face but otherwise he looked alright. He was alive and well… and I was in shock.

Nathaniel was alive.

I walked forward just as he did and he pulled me up into his iron hold. "I can't believe you're here." I whispered, my arms around his neck and my toes dangling above the ground. Nathaniel and Micah had done so much for me… it had hurt so much to think either one of them was dead because of me. Nathaniel loosened his grip and let me stand for myself. I looked up at him, wanting to make sure he was really here.

"I don't have a lot of time but there are things you need to know." He said, keeping his hand on my shoulder. He must have pulled me into a dream. It was the only way to communicate with me seeing as he was running from heaven.

"Go back to Sam, he's in trouble." Nate said; his voice just as soft and determined as it had been when I'd last seen him. My heart dropped a little. Sam? Nate didn't let me lose focus. "Adam's dead Alexis, the thing with your brother is a monster." He explained, looking straight at me. Oh god. I felt sick… Dean and I weren't anywhere near Sam.

"You've been watching us?" I asked. It was a stupid question but I felt a little better knowing that we collectively had another angel on our shoulder.

"Of course I've been watching you." Nate replied like it was obvious. He rested his hand on my neck. "Listen, the bruises;" he looked down at my abdomen as if they were still there. "…it was some sort of initiation. Your blood was used along with a spell and the bracelet to start it. It ties in with the apocalypse but I'm not sure how yet." He explained; an ache in his eyes.

"What do I do?" I asked him, completely clueless and turning to him for guidance. I felt the warmth from his hand spread throughout me, remembering how safe I'd felt when he was watching over me in the cottage. I knew I could trust him.

"Don't let Lilith get to you. Wait for me or Micah or Anna. We'll find you once we know what's going on." He said, not breaking eye contact. The desperation in his eyes told me our time was almost up.

"What about you?" I asked, fearing for his safety. Perhaps we could offer him protection. "Are you going to be alright?" he offered a soft smile.

"I will be now." He replied. The last thing I saw was his emerald eyes before everything went dark. A huge weight had lifted off my shoulders knowing Nathaniel was alive but more importantly, I hadn't realized how badly I had missed him until he was standing in front of me. And now that he was gone again, my heart had grown a little heavier.

"Alexis!"

I opened my eyes as I felt warm arms around me. I was being held against a leather jacket and someone was yelling my name.

"Lex!" I looked up to see Dean's worried eyes on me, his hand on my cheek.

"Dean." I said softly, remembering I was in the Impala with him. His sighed in relief before pulling me into his arms and smothering me against his chest. Then, as the cold air nipped at my face, I realized we were outside. Dean must have pulled me out once I lost consciousness.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked, pulling away and watching me closely. He kept his hands on my shoulders, not letting me go.

"Dean, we have to get to Sam, now. He's in trouble." I breathed, remembering what Nathaniel had told me. Dean's facial expression changed in an instant and he pushed me into the car, not even questioning my information. He knew better than that by now.

* * *

"Do you trust him?" Dean asked, speeding back the way we came. I put my fingers to my temple, the pain slowly subsiding. Getting pulled into a dream did take its toll; something I'd never expected.

"Yes. He said Adam's dead and the thing with Sam is a monster." I replied, turning in the seat and looking for a water bottle.

"And he's on the run?" Dean asked for clarification. I nodded, still searching for water.

"Yeah, otherwise he would have just zapped in." I explained, finally getting my hands on the bottle. "He also said something about my bruises." I admitted, sitting properly in my seat. Dean glanced over at me, concern growing on his face.

"What?" he asked but his tone indicated he wasn't looking forward to finding out. I looked down; upset I was bringing more trouble into Dean's life.

"My blood, the bracelet and the bruises; it's all some sort of initiation that ties in with the apocalypse." I replied, realizing just how bad it all sounded. I couldn't dump all of this on Dean now; we had to worry about Sam first. "It's okay though." I said reassuringly and Dean cast me strange look. "I'll figure it out." I assured him.

Dean just hit the accelerator.

* * *

I pulled out my gun and approached the front door with caution, Dean two steps ahead of me. Luckily for us it was open and we slipped inside just in time to hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"Sam, the more you struggle, the faster you're gonna bleed out." Adam said and I felt my face flush red. I was going to kill this son of a bitch for laying a hand on Sam. "So you might as well lie back and relax."

Dean didn't wait any longer; he sped into the kitchen, shotgun raised. Adam and his mother were standing over a bound and bleeding Sam. There were bowls placed beneath Sam, collecting the fast dripping blood.

"Hey!" Dean yelled, firing at Adam and hitting him on the shoulder. I ran past Dean and shot Kate in the heart as she ran towards me. The heart-shot didn't slow her down. I leapt forward and kicked her square in the chest before hooking right.

"They're ghouls!" Sam yelled as I went to shoot Kate again. I changed my aim and shot her between the eyes instead, rendering her dead. I turned around in time to be tackled to the ground by Adam, my back hitting the floor hard. He punched me in the face and I tasted blood, my vision blurring for a second. Suddenly his weight was lifted off me and he was thrown into the wall by Dean who looked furious.

I got to my feet and watched Dean grab Adam before slamming him to the floor. Dean could look after himself; Sam needed my help at the moment. I turned away from Dean and rushed to Sam's side, pulling out my dagger and cutting through his restraints. He moaned in pain as he pulled his arms in, the blood still gushing out. Dean and Adam were still fighting as I pulled Sam up and grabbed a few towels.

"Come on Sammy." I groaned as I supported his weight. "You're going to be fine." I reassured him looking at the wounds properly. I could hear Dean beating Adam in the other room as I wrapped one towel around Sam's forearm. "Oh Jesus, these are deep." I muttered, pressing down and trying to stop the bleeding. I placed the other towel on Sam's other arms, holding the towels in place. There was silence in the other room.

"Dean!" I yelled, needing his help in fixing Sam up. Once the bleeding had slowed a little, I'd be able to clean the cuts and sew Sam up properly but in the meantime, I needed Dean. "Okay, okay, you're okay." I said to Sam as he slowly stopped shaking.

"Thank you." Sam breathed as Dean entered the kitchen and came to Sam's side. I looked up at him, checking to see if he was okay.

"That's what family's for, right?" I said to Sam before looking at Dean. "Keep pressure on that." I told him as Dean helped pull Sam off the table. I looked down at the bowls which were more than half full with Sam's blood. I wanted to bring the ghouls back to life just so I could beat their heads in again.

* * *

"Another ten seconds." I said to Sam as I pushed the needle in the last time. He groaned but kept still as I pulled the thread through and tied the knot on his side. I'd stitched up his arms and now was finishing up the wounds on his side which I was sure one of the ghouls had stuck their finger in. "Done." I announced, taking the bacterial wipe and cleaning up. Sam hissed as the alcohol made contact with his nerves but I kept it pressed, not wanting an infection to set in.

Sam pulled his shirt back on while I washed my hands with the water bottle, leaning against the open Impala door. Dean was fixing Adam's pyre several feet away from where Sam and I were. He had gone back to the morgue and found Adam's body, insisting we give him a proper see-off.

"You okay?" Sam asked, still sitting in the back seat, his legs out of the car. I looked down at him and nodded even though I felt like shit. Sam reached up and rubbed his thumb over my cheek where the bruise was. I winced and pulled his hand away.

"I'm okay. Come on." I said to him, turning around and walking towards Dean. Adam's body was wrapped in sheets and was lying on the pyre. Dean snapped a large branch against his knee and placed it alongside the rest of the wood on the pyre.

"You sure we should do this?" Sam asked Dean, coming to stand beside me. Dean took the bottle of lighter fluid from Sam's hand and began opening it.

"Ghouls didn't fake those pictures. They didn't fake Dad's journal." He said, sprinkling the fluid over Adam. "Adam was our brother. He died like a hunter. He deserves to go out like one." Dean put the bottle down and stood on the other side of Sam.

"Maybe we can bring him back. Get a hold of Cas, call in a favor." Sam suggested. I didn't want Cas to bring Adam back.

"No, Adam's in a better place." Dean said and I felt myself sigh quietly. Dean lit the match and tossed it on the pyre. We watched Adam's body go up in flames and for some sick reason I felt relief. "You know, I finally get why you and Dad butted heads so much." Dean said quietly, directing his words at Sam. I glanced up. "You two were practically the same person." Sam looked over at Dean too. "I mean, I worshipped the guy, you know? I dressed like him, I acted like him, I listened to the same music. But you were more like him than I will ever be. And I see that now."

I watched the flames, wondering if this was how dad's pyre had been. Sam and Dean had cremated him without me and ever since his death, I'd always regretted not being there. If dad could hear me, I'd want to say I was sorry for not paying him the respect he deserved after his death. I should have been there.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Sam replied to Dean's comment.

"You take it any way you want." Dean said, staring ahead. Why didn't I care that Adam was dead? He was my brother just as much he was Sam and Dean's. Was it really my jealously that made me feel indifferent to his death?

Those ghouls did what they did to survive… I was the real monster here.

We stood there until the flames had died down; finally ready to leave this town and the secrets that came with it. Sam left first, making his way to car. I turned to follow him but walked one step before Dean grabbed my jacket.

"Not so fast." He said, turning me around so I was facing him. He knew something was wrong… he always knew. I didn't even deny it this time.

"Is this what it was like when dad..." I trailed off, watching Dean. I felt my throat clump up and I felt the tears in my eyes.

"Not really." he replied, still watching me with confusion. He didn't understand what I was going through yet but I was about to make it a lot easier for him.

"I miss him." I whispered, hating myself even more. The realization crossed his face. I'd never said anything about it but I would have done anything to be there when my brothers had cremated dad. He was my dad. "I miss him so much, Dean." I admitted.

Dean didn't say anything; instead he sighed and pulled me into his arms. I welcomed his warm embrace and rested my head against his chest, letting the sound of his heart distract me. I didn't know how I was involved in the upcoming apocalypse but in all honesty it scared the crap out of me. There were so many other things to worry about, it just seemed like too much to handle.

"We'll figure this out." Dean said, keeping his arms around me.

"How are we going to do this without dad?" I asked, looking away and rubbing my hand over my face, trying to wipe away the tears.

"Hey." Dean said sternly, looking down at me. "There is nothing," he said firmly. "_nothing_, more important to me and Sam… than you." He stared at me, waiting for the words to sink in. "Not the apocalypse, not Adam, not a damn thing." he said. "Dad may be gone but I won't let you get hurt, Lex." He gently used his thumb to wipe away my tears. "I promise." He said, kissing my forehead.

I felt that would be our downfall.

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**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! **Go ahead and review!**

Remember to check out the one-shot I posted last time, **Alexis Winchester - What Is And Should Never Be**, which is part of this series. You can find it by clicking on my profile link!

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

**ALSO: **Please let me know if you guys have any preferences as to who should be Lex's love interest. I think I have it figured out but I'd love your input as well xx

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Emerald Princess 14


	21. Chapter 21 - The Rapture

**Author's Note:**

Hi guys! Here's the next chapter.

Be sure to check out my **Alexis Winchester**One-Shots on my profile page. Please check them out and let me know what you think!

**Note:**I just want to thank everyone who follows, favorites, reads and reviews this story. Your support and especially your reviews is what keeps me so motivated to keep writing. Thank you so much for taking the time out! You guys bring me so much joy :D

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Thank-you to everyone who reviewed; snn7b, Kita18, emily2696, JensenAcklesfanforever, Mayrem, Sara.B, Jasmine, , Remmy, Anonymous, Guest, ASecretIndulgence, maipigen, IwouldrockJoshuaJacksonsWorld, I'mtheson and Guest. Thank-you so much for your feedback!

Thank-you so much to those people who are now following my story and to those who added it to their favorites :)

Please review guys, your feedback would be greatly appreciated :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Supernatural series or any of the characters which appear in the series including Sam and Dean. I do own the character of Alexis in this story.

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**Alexis Winchester**

**Chapter 21 – The Rapture**

More often than not, I wasn't the smartest person in the world. Not that I'd willingly admit it to my brothers but it was true, tonight being a prime example. We had gotten adjoining rooms, leading to Sam and Dean sharing a room while I was on my own, separated from them by a door. Money wasn't really a problem seeing as I made more than my share by hustling pool and poker. There were just some night when one of us needed to be away from the other two so adjoining rooms were a quick solution.

I didn't need any time alone but like I said before, I was stupid. See I had made the wonderful decision of sleeping in the car during the day which consequently left me to be wide awake in the middle of the night. Sam and Dean had warned me to get my sleeping pattern in order or something like this would happen but I'd ignored the two of them, thinking I knew better. I didn't.

That wasn't even all of it. Seeing as sleep wouldn't be coming to me anytime soon, I'd decided to sit in bed and pass time by watching some of my favorite classics. The bad decision had been picking a horror movie. I understood we hunted evil for a living but none of that mattered when you were watching Freddy vs Jason, which to Dean's disappointment, was my favorite movie out of both the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series. It scared me out of my wits every time I watched it and as a result my single room, without Sam or Dean, had suddenly become a much scarier place.

I'd finished the movie about twenty minute ago but didn't have the guts to move from my spot on the bed. My phone was sitting on the bed side table but I didn't want my arm to leave the refuge of the sheets, scared that Jason was hiding beneath my bed and that he would drag me under. I didn't even have the courage to turn my head and look towards the windows, afraid I might see someone standing there. This was not good.

Stupid Alexis. Why hadn't I just watched Star Wars? Ideally, I would have sprinted from my bed into the other room and bunked with Dean for the night, given how terrified I was, but I felt even that was impossible tonight. I couldn't bring myself to leave the bed. I was just going to have to take a leap of faith and hope for the best. I took a deep breath and pulled the sheets down a little so I could see my phone. It wasn't too far away. My hand shot out and grabbed it, pulling it back beneath the sheets.

Success! If I couldn't make it to the other room, I was bringing one of my brothers here. I hit speed dial and heard Sam's phone ring through the wall. Someone shuffled in bed and answered.

"Lex?" Sam's groggy voice came through the mouthpiece. I could picture his messy, ruffled hair and his clueless expression as he tried to get his bearings.

"Hey Sam." I whispered back, not wanting to wake Dean.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a yawn in his voice. "Are you okay?" he asked, realizing I might be in trouble. There was more shuffling from the other room.

"I'm scared." I replied, still clutching the phone like my life depended on it. The shuffling stopped for a moment.

"Of what?" he asked both sleepily and incredulously. The floor board behind me creaked and I inched forward in panic.

"I watched Freddy vs Jason." I replied, hoping to God no one was standing behind me while I lay in bed.

"Lex…" Sam groaned quietly. Then he hung up. He hadn't sounded impressed at my reasoning for waking him up, but I didn't want to white knuckle my way through the night! I had a kick ass reputation to uphold. There was more movement in the other room before the door opened and I peeked out of the sheets to see Sam standing in the door way, rubbing his eyes. He gave me one look before shaking his head and shuffling towards me.

"You're an idiot." He mumbled, approaching me and pulling the sheets back. I scooted over as he got in beside me and laid on his back, resting his head on the pillow.

"Thanks." I whispered, resting on my side so I was facing him. Sam smirked at the ceiling like this situation was amusing to him. I watched him shut his eyes and welcome sleep; with his arms crossed over his rising and falling chest, his hair flicked onto his face and serenity in his features. He looked like my brother again, the same brother that used to rock me to sleep when I was little; the same brother who'd reassure me there was nothing under the bed and if there was he'd kick it in the ass. Suddenly it didn't matter if Jason was coming for me… Sam was here.

Things were so much simpler when we were young. Although we'd had the furthest thing from a normal childhood, at least back then we didn't have to deal with angels, the devil and the apocalypse. More importantly, back then, Dean hadn't gone to hell, Sam hadn't trusted a demon and I'd had some sort of conscience.

I did care when I was younger… things used to matter to me and I couldn't remember when I'd changed. Ruby had once told Dean that hell is 'forgetting what you are'; it sounded like I was on the path to becoming a demon. All I remembered was putting on a tough exterior when Sam and Dean's lives were in danger… during those times, nothing else mattered to me. I had to protect them.

If I hadn't been around, which seemed the way things were supposed to go; would Sam and Dean have been more or less broken than they were now? I gave them unconditional love, which was no comparison to the love mom had for them, but it was better than nothing. My brothers had a habit of closing up around everyone else, something I must have learnt from them, yet they put their ego aside and bathed in heartfelt moments when I needed them. It must have been therapeutic for them to have someone to talk to when everything around them was falling apart and I loved being there for them. I wanted to be there for them.

Unfortunately, that meant I had become immune to being conflicted in challenging situations. Someone had to make the hard decisions and I couldn't bear to see Dean make them anymore. When he went to hell and Sam left, I had been on my own. If I had wanted to survive, I knew I'd have to become just like Dean. He was the best hunter I knew and only his teachings would aid me. It seemed that without his guidance, not only had I become him… I'd surpassed his level of morality and fallen knee deep into the 'emotionless' pit.

I didn't want to be like this. I wanted to care again. The next time I aimed my gun, I wanted to think twice before pulling the trigger. It would compromise my skills as a hunter but at least I'd be human again. Sam hadn't moved from beside me and I wondered, as I watched him, whether he felt the same way I did.

"Sammy?" I whispered, watching him twitch his nose at my voice.

"Hmm." He replied, not opening his eyes.

"Do you think I'm heartless?" I asked, playing with the sheet between my fingers.

"Yeah." He replied, still halfway to sleep. I didn't think he understood the question.

"Why?" My eyes narrowed at him, not that he could see me.

"Because you woke me up at three in the morning." He replied.

"But it's Jason!" I hissed. Didn't he understand the severity of the situation?

"Yeah, a fictional character who's afraid of water." Sam mumbled. I frowned at him.

"If you think it's so stupid, why'd you come?" I asked with a hint of cockiness.

"You want me to go?" he asked, knowing full well my answer. I stayed silent and Sam smirked again. "That's what I thought." He said to himself.

"So, in honesty?" I asked; my mind still on the previous question.

"In honesty what?" Sam asked, yawning. I groaned silently at his lack of attention.

"Do you think I'm heartless?" I asked again.

"Scientifically, it's impossible-" he began and I shoved his shoulder.

"Sam!" I whispered in annoyance.

"Lex, what do I have to say to get you to shut up?" he asked, just wanting to sleep.

"You have to tell me the truth." I explained, rolling onto my stomach and resting my face in my hands.

"Yes, you're a heartless little monster." He replied. "Happy?" he asked, shifting in the bed. Now even my brothers thought I enjoyed being the way I was. Sometimes I did but not at the moment I didn't. I looked down at my hands, contemplating on what I should do.

"I don't want to be a heartless little monster." I mumbled to myself.

"Fine." Sam yawned again. "Be whatever you want to be." He said. "Just let me sleep." Something moved in the other room. I heard it but Sam, who was on the verge of letting sleep take over, didn't. This always happened in horror movies… I didn't want to die at the hands of a chainsaw.

"Sam." I whispered, leaning on him. "Sam, someone's here." I warned him, reaching for my gun. He shrugged me off and rolled onto his other side, turning his back to me.

"Go to sleep Lex." He mumbled. I heard more shuffling and this time, so did Sam.

"You heard that right?" I asked, sitting up.

"It's Dean." Sam replied warily. If it was Dean, he'd have called our names by now, which he hadn't, meaning we had an intruder.

"It's Jason." I whispered, shaking Sam with one hand. "Sammy, it's Jason!" I hissed.

"Lex, you're psychotic." Sam shrugged away from me. "It's Dean." he mumbled again.

"Why are you such a pussy?" I asked him, keeping my eyes on the door.

"Why can't you be normal?" Sam shot back, his face still buried in the pillow.

"Sam." Dean called out, opening the adjoining door and I sighed in relief. "Lex? Come on, we gotta go." Dean flicked on the light switch to see me sitting up in bed. His eyes moved down to the gun in my hand and then to Sam who was half asleep beside me.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, walking further into the room as I lowered my weapon. I gave him a sheepish grin, not really wanting to admit I was terrified of a Hollywood character.

"Lex thinks Voorhees is out to get her." Sam mumbled when he heard I wasn't replying. Dean gave me a quizzical look as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Jason?" he asked.

"Which other Voorhees would he be talking about?" I asked him, crossing my arms over my knees.

"His mother." Sam replied sarcastically. Well, I guess they did have a point.

"Jason…" Dean sighed. "You want to be scared, picture a world without birth control." He remarked, wincing a little at the thought. My older brother, ladies and gentlemen.

"We should confiscate your laptop." Sam added. "God forbid you base life decisions on anything other than Hollywood blockbusters." He said.

"You're such a prude." I told him, pushing myself off the bed as Dean watched us.

"This is the thanks I get." Sam mumbled in disapproval, still not budging from the bed.

"You're supposed to tolerate me with love." I chastised, searching my room for my duffel as Dean sat at the table, rubbing the sleep from his face.

"I do more than my fair share of that." Sam replied. I pulled my duffel onto the bed and lazily rummaged through, pulling out jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Don't act like I'm not the beacon of light in your life, Sam." I teased, walking towards the bathroom, with my change of clothes.

"You're a pain in my ass." Sam called out before I shut the door. Sure he was grumpy now… but he'd be miserable if I wasn't around harassing him all the time.

"Both of you quit your bitching." Dean ordered, getting tired of our banter.

"She started it." Sam mumbled and I rolled my eyes. Real mature Sam.

"Wait, where are we going?" I asked, ignoring Sam and realizing what Dean was asking of us. The only time we left in the middle of the night was if someone was in serious trouble. My mind immediately wandered to Bobby… and then Jo.

"Illinois." Dean replied as I pulled my pants on and opened the bathroom door. "Cas needs our help." He explained. Sam was finally sitting up, rubbing his face.

"How do you know?" he asked Dean.

"Cas enjoys ruining my dreams." He replied, standing up. "Let's hustle." He pointed towards me in seriousness. "I am sleep deprived. If you annoy me, I'll leave you on the side of the road." He threatened.

"Oh please-" I waved him off.

"I'm not even kidding Lex." Dean cut me off, not wavering in his decision.

"If you're so tired, let me drive." I suggested, trying to tone down my usual wit. Dean narrowed his eyes at me and I shrunk back a little, feeling like a toddler again.

"Now you're annoying me." He stated dangerously. Boy, this was going to be a long ride.

* * *

"Well, what did he say, Dean? What was so important?" Sam asked as we walked through the dark warehouse. I directed my flashlight to the roof, trying to get a better look at the squeaky pipes while Sam and Dean walked ahead without me.

"If I knew, would I be here?" Dean replied. All we knew was that Cas wanted us to meet him here because apparently Dean's mind wasn't private enough. We had no idea what this was about but I was secretly hoping Cas had some information on 'Reema', seeing as the last time we saw him, he was about to investigate.

"Lex." Sam called out to me. I turned to see the two of them ascend a set of stairs; Sam giving me a pointed look to keep up. I hurried along and followed the two of them, feeling pretty bad that they were so tired and I was full of energy.

As I reached the top of the stairs, the lights flashed and I came to a standstill as the scene presented itself to me. It was a mess up here.

"What the hell?" I mumbled, flashing the light around to see the large metal structures which were lying lopsided all over the place.

"It looks like a bomb went off." Sam noted and he couldn't have been more right. Something serious had gone down here. The lights sparked behind me and we turned at the sound before continuing forward. I kept in mind that I was trying to exercise empathy. If something jumped out at me, I had to think before I pulled the trigger.

"There was a fight here." Dean noted as he walked ahead.

"Between who? Anakin and Obi Wan?" I asked, noticing the cracked concrete walls.

"No more TV for you." Sam murmured as Dean faced us and flashed the light on the wall behind us. His eyes lit up with recognition.

"Check it out. Look familiar?" he asked as Sam and I turned around to see what he was pointing out. There were bloody symbols painted on the wall in a pattern I knew very well.

"Yeah, it does." Sam replied.

"Anna used something like that to wish the angels back to the cornfield." Dean noted. I remembered them from elsewhere.

"They're advanced angel sigils." I told them, walking forward and looking at them properly. "Micah showed me how to draw them."

"So, what? Cas was fighting angels?" Sam asked. Maybe Castiel was being fought off by someone but I highly doubted that.

"I don't know." Dean muttered, looking away and continuing the search. He shone the light over to the side and stopped when he noticed something. "Sam." He called walking forward. "Lex." We followed him around the bend to see Castiel lying unconscious in a pile of rubble. "Cas? Cas. Hey, Cas?" Dean grabbed his shirt and shook him a little. Cas woke up in a panic as the lights sparked again.

"What's . . . ? What's . . . ? What's going on?" he asked, his voice surprisingly higher than usual.

"Just take it easy. Take it easy." Dean told him, helping him sit upright. I stood back while Sam and Dean took the front line.

"Oh. No." Cas said to himself, standing up a little disorientated. He didn't quite seem himself.

"Cas, you okay?" Sam asked. Cas looked down at his body and then his hands.

"Ugh. Castiel. I'm not Castiel." He said looking up at us. "It's me." Who the hell was 'me'? We all had the same confused expression on our faces as we took that in.

"Who's 'me'?" Sam asked the question on our minds.

"Jimmy. My name's Jimmy." He replied, like he had just remembered his own name. Jimmy? This was Cas' vessel?

"Where the hell is Castiel?" Dean asked with a guarded tone.

"He's gone." Jimmy replied stoically. I looked up at Sam and Dean in shock… we had a bit of a problem.

* * *

I sat opposite Jimmy at the table, Dean sitting to my left and Sam to my right, as Jimmy devoured the burger he'd insisted on getting. He seemed pretty damn hungry and if I'd been fasting for as long as Jimmy had, I'd start with something a little healthier than a greasy hamburger.

"Mmm." He moaned as he kept eating. I was still getting used to the image of Cas consuming food… it seemed unnatural.

"You mind slowing down? You're gonna give me angina." Dean told him, all three of us watching him. Jimmy had no qualms about our staring, he simply kept eating.

"I'm hungry." He replied, taking a sip of his milkshake.

"When's the last time you ate?" Sam asked. I'd already taken his vitals when we'd found him and apart from a few bruises and cuts, he was perfectly fine.

"I don't know. Months." He replied chomping down on his food again. Months? Holy shit! That was a long time. How did the science of angel-vessel possession even work in terms of sustaining the life force of a human? This was the kind of thing I would have enjoyed researching if I was working at a university… and if the world knew about the supernatural. Jimmy continued to eat like a pig and I shot Sam an amused glance. Not even Dean appreciated his food this much.

"Easy there Jimmy, it's just food, not love." I pointed out. He glanced up at me and grinned, something I had never seen Cas do and oddly it was unsettling.

"So, what the hell happened back there? It looked like an angel battle royale." Sam asked, breezing forward.

"All I remember is a flash of light and I, uh . . . I woke up and I was just, you know, like, me again." Jimmy replied, waving his burger around as he answered.

"So, what? Cas just ditched out of your meat suit?" Dean asked in confusion.

"I really don't know." Jimmy replied, taking another bite.

"You remember anything about being possessed? Anything at all?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Yeah, bits and pieces." Jimmy cast me a glance and I frowned. "I mean, angel inside of you, it's kinda like being chained to a comet." He explained.

"Ah, that doesn't sound like much fun." Dean stated. No kidding. Ghost and demon possession were no fun, we could only imagine how annoying angel possession might be.

"Understatement." Jimmy said, with wide eyes.

"Cas said he wanted to tell us something. Please tell me you remember that." Sam said to him, his hope slowly dying.

"Sorry." Jimmy replied, shaking his head. This was crap, we had no leads.

"Come on, what_ do_ you know?" Dean asked. Jimmy stopped eating and concentrated for a moment.

"My name is Jimmy Novak. I'm from Pontiac, Illinois." He said slowly. "I have a family." That hurt me more than it should have. "My wife, Amelia and my daughter, Claire." He said as if the thoughts were coming back to him. He had a wife? And a daughter? No, no, no. Suddenly I didn't feel too well.

I stood up and headed for the door, not wanting to hear about Jimmy's family. The three of them glanced at me as I walked away.

"I just need some air." I said to Dean and I saw the confusion on his face. It didn't stop me, I walked out of the room and let the cold hit me.

There was a woman out there waiting for her husband and a little girl waiting for her dad. Instead, we'd been hanging out with Castiel, and I especially, had had him running in circles for me. I knew it was the apocalypse but that didn't matter. If for some reason, either Sam or Dean were vessels and they'd been taken away from me without any warning, I'd be hurt and I'd be pissed. It would drive me crazy and it's safe to say I'd jump off the deep end pretty quickly, bringing the whole world down with me.

Luckily for me that wasn't a reality I had to live with, but it was for Amelia and Claire. That family had been separated and it didn't matter how much we needed Cas at the moment, they deserved to be reunited with each other. I thought about how close I'd grown to Cas which in retrospect was Jimmy. How would Amelia and Claire feel knowing Cas had been part of my support system. That'd he'd held me when I was hurt and scared. That I'd kissed his cheek and looked deep into his eyes in times of need. That wasn't my place, it was theirs.

If some stranger had done to Sam and Dean, what I'd done to Cas… I would have killed that stranger. In this hypothetical situation, I was without my brothers and someone else was leaning on them for the support and love I needed? How DARE they go anywhere near them and how DARE they try and take my place?! Call me protective; call me possessive; call me crazy, I don't care. They were MY brothers, I had grown up with them, they were MY family and NO ONE else had the right. Not a damn person.

"Fuck!" I growled, leaning against the Impala.

"Lex?" Dean's voice came from nowhere and almost made me jump out of my skin. I turned around as he came to stand in front of me, Sam two steps behind him. "You wanna explain that?" Dean asked, motioning to the room.

"One too many problems." I told them and Sam sighed in agreement. "I mean, there's a woman and a little girl out there waiting for him… wondering where he went and he's been with us the whole time!" I exclaimed in frustration.

"Lex, it's the apocalypse we're talking about here. Cas needed Jimmy." Sam justified and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Yeah, and how did you feel when I up and left without any explanation?" I asked, glancing at the both of them. Sam looked away and Dean's face fell a little at the thought, both remembering what a frustrating time it had been for them, not knowing if I was safe or even alive. "That's what they were going through too-" I exclaimed, referring to Jimmy's wife and daughter. "-and let me tell you this. I hated Uriel, Lilith and Ruby-" Sam shot me a look, one that said he still didn't believe his precious girlfriend was evil. "-oh I don't give a shit." I told him before continuing. "I hated them all for making me helpless and forcing me to leave you guys high and dry. The reason Jimmy left, was for us. We're no better than Uriel and Ruby! I hate us on behalf of Amelia and Claire. We're the reason their missing a part of their family." I told them, placing my hand on my forehead, trying to calm myself down. "You know what, if Jimmy remembers we're Castiel's most prized trio, he's going to hate us too." I reminded them, shutting my eyes in frustration.

"Well you know, it sucks, but that's not our problem at the moment." Sam said diplomatically. Both Dean and I shot him a glare for being so insensitive. "I'm serious." he defended himself. "So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked narrowing his eyes. "The guy's got a family. We buy him a bus ticket, send him home."

"I don't know about that." Sam said uncertainly, giving us a helpless look. "He's the only lead we got." He counteracted.

"He doesn't know anything." Dean argued, glancing at Jimmy's silhouette through the window.

"Are you a hundred percent about that?" Sam asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"You think he's lying?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Jimmy hardly seemed like the deceiving type to me, but then again, what the hell did I know?

"Lex is right. What, you wanna go Guantanamo on the guy?" Dean added supporting my claim.

"Maybe he doesn't even know what he knows." Sam explained. Now I was lost.

"Huh?" Dean asked for the both of us.

"I say, at least we get him to Bobby's." Sam explained and I began shaking my head in advance. Jimmy needed to get back to his family – that was important. "Maybe all he needs is hypnosis or a psychic. Or hell, maybe Cas will just drop back into him." Sam continued.

"I don't know, man." Dean said uneasily, looking away.

"Dean, back there, that was angel-on-angel violence. Now, I don't know what's going on, but it's big. And we can't just let the only lead we got just skip out." Sam argued and Dean just shook his head. "What?" Sam asked, sounding irritated at our lack of cooperativeness.

"You remember when our job was helping people? Like, getting them back to their families?" Dean asked.

"You think I don't want to help him? I'm just being realistic. I mean, hell, we're doing him a favor." Sam replied.

"How?" Dean asked, exasperated.

"Dean, if we want to question the guy, you can damn well bet the demons do, too." Sam pointed out. I sighed in defeat, realizing Sam was absolutely right.

* * *

"The hell are you talking about, I can't go home?" Jimmy was not reacting well to our demands at all. He was adamant to leave which made our job that much harder.

"There's a good chance you have a bull's-eye on your back." I explained from beside Dean.

"What? From who?" Jimmy asked incredulously.

"Take a guess." I mumbled low enough for Dean to hear.

"Demons." Dean explained, glancing back at Sam.

"Come on, that's crazy. What do they want with me?" he asked.

"I don't know, information, maybe?" Dean replied.

"I don't know anything!" Jimmy exclaimed with widened eyes. It was more emotion than Cas had ever displayed in the time we knew him.

"And when, during your short angel-induced life, have you known demons to be rational thinkers?" I asked pointedly. "They don't care… you were once an angel but to them you are still an information source, whether you know anything or not." I explained. He didn't like what I had to say, his face made that clear.

"Look, I'm done, okay? With demons, angels, all of it. I just want to go home." He complained.

"We understand." Dean told him, trying not to lose his temper.

"I don't think that you do understand." He interrupted Dean. "I've been shot and stabbed and healed, and my body has been dragged all over the Earth. By some miracle, I'm out, and I am done. I've given enough, okay?" he told us with energy.

"Look, all we're saying is that until we figure this out, the safest place is with us." Sam told him, standing up from the table and coming to stand behind me.

"How long?" Jimmy asked, slightly wavering in his decision. It was the wrong question to ask.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Sam replied. That wasn't the answer Jimmy was looking for. He shook his head and brushed past me, heading straight for the door. Sam steeped in his way and restrained him from moving further.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, as we turned to face him.

"To see my wife and daughter, okay?" Jimmy replied.

"No, you're not. You're just going to put those people in danger." Sam explained clearly. This was painful to watch and hitting a little too close to home. I was never one to rip families apart and if I were in Jimmy's position, I wouldn't have let anything stop me from seeing Sam and Dean.

"So, what, now I'm a prisoner?" Jimmy asked.

"Harsh way to put it." Sam replied. I reached my hand out and touched Jimmy's shoulder, reassuringly.

"Look Jimmy, you're just going to have to trust us on this. We're not trying to hurt you or your family… we're just doing what's in your best interest." I explained.

Time passed quickly after that and before we knew it, the sun had gone down and we were still on baby-sitting duty. Sam was in the same room as Jimmy, keeping watch while Dean and I decided to get some sleep in the adjoining room. Funnily enough, after being awake for the past forty-eight hours, I was beat. The second my head hit the pillow, I felt myself be pulled into sleep. It didn't last too long seeing as I had a visitor.

"Nate?" I asked, squinting as the bright light hit my eyes. We were in a warehouse of some kind and the devilish angel was leaning against a wall, with a smug smile on his face.

"Hey." He replied, watching me.

"Just to be clear, we're in my head… right?" I asked, looking around at the figment of my imagination. Nate chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, we're in your head." He replied.

"Jeez, who picks the scenery?" I mumbled, knocking on the concrete walls. "Anyway, what's going on?" I asked, turning back around to face him. I never got used to seeing the cute smile on his face, his stark green eyes and his beautiful chestnut hair. I envied the angels for looking so beautiful.

"I came to check in on you." He replied, still leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

"I think I'm doing okay, good sir." I lied, bowing a little to him in mockery. He rolled his eyes in amusement and I smiled at him. When I'd first met Nathaniel he'd been so different to Cas… mostly because he had a personality. It had surprised me that angels could be so similar to humans and it was a nice change. I liked to believe I had taught Anna, Micah and Nathaniel how to have a little fun while I was bunked up with them for a month.

"I don't believe you." He said, pushing himself off the wall and standing straight. "Supernatural stuff aside, is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked walking forward. I froze as he approached me, not knowing what to say. Did he know the doubts I was having about my work ethic?

"What are you talking about?" I asked cautiously as he stopped walking and came to stand in front of me with concerned eyes.

"If you don't want to say it, that's fine." He started and I suddenly got the feeling he did know my troubles. "But let me tell you this." He put his hand on my neck and I felt my heart flutter as the warmth spread throughout me. "I know you feel, so don't ever think you don't." he said with determination.

"What?" I asked. How did he know what I was going through? He leaned a little closer and I felt his body heat.

"Your heart makes you strong and your love makes you invincible." He said quietly, looking down into my eyes. I felt I could get lost in the depths of emerald I was staring into.

"How do you know?" I breathed, captivated by his words. He continued to stare into my eyes before pulling me to him and letting our lips meet. I was taken off guard and my body betrayed me as it melted in his arms. My hands rested themselves on his chest as his soft lips tugged at my heart. How could he have so much power over me?

"What are you doing?" I breathed, pushing away from him in shock. He ducked his head a little while I watched him with accusing eyes.

"I'm not doing anything." he replied. I touched my lips in confusion. "We're in your head." Nate reminded me.

"I know, but you're dream walking!" I exclaimed. He shook his head a little and suddenly it sunk in. I was dreaming… and Nate wasn't actually here.

I sat up in bed in a panic, my breathing heavy and beads of sweat on my neck. Partial sex dreams? Really Alexis? I sighed, resting my head in my hands. I glanced over at Dean, more than happy to see he was fast asleep in his bed. Why on earth was I dreaming about Nathaniel… and why were my dreams of the romantic nature?!

Was I attracted to him? And if I was, how come I hadn't figured it out until now? I didn't want to sleep anymore, scared of what else my subconscious was going to show me. I needed a walk.

I slipped out of my room and began walking towards the reception, the cool air putting an end to any heat filled moments I'd already imagined. Recently it had just been one shit storm after the other and the last thing I needed was for me to have the hots for a fellow comrade. Stop thinking about it!

I turned the corner and sat on the curb, trying to think of anything else. I didn't have to try very hard because when I looked up, I saw Jimmy, in the distance, making a run for it. Where the hell was Sam? Jimmy had already crossed the parking lot and the road. I jumped to my feet and hurriedly followed after him. This guy was going to get himself killed.

I jogged across the road as Jimmy walked around the corner. I couldn't lose him. Unluckily for me, the second I turned the corner, I was faced with an obstacle… or more like three.

"Winchester." The lady closest to me sneered. Her eyes flashed black and the two men behind her grinned at me. My hand went to where my gun was supposed to be but I realized too late, that I hadn't brought any of my weapons with me.

"Just great." I mumbled, taking a precautious step back. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked the black-eyed bitch. She rolled her neck as she stepped towards me, a dangerous look on her face.

"Where's the vessel?" she asked me, sneering a little.

"Why would I tell you?" I scoffed, glancing around for a weapon. I was on the side of the road so I really had nothing going for me.

"Give us an answer and I'll kill you quickly." She replied, taking another step forward. She was very close to invading my safe space.

"A quick death? Too good to be true." I retorted as I felt my pocket. Somehow I'd managed to remember my phone but not my weapons. I guess I had a little too much faith in my fighting ability.

"I will rip you to shreds." The woman threatened, taking another step towards me.

"What do you want with the vessel? And who sent you, Lilith?" I asked, trying to buy myself some time and disappointed I couldn't go after Jimmy. On the plus side, they didn't seem to realize that the vessel they were looking for was unprotected and within walking distance.

"One last time Winchester… where is the vessel?" The demon to the left of the woman warned me.

"I don't like your tone." I told him. He growled and I saw what was about to happen. I stepped to the side as he lunged at me, twisting on the spot and spin-kicking the woman on the face.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," I started reciting the exorcism as I continued to fight. The woman screeched as she realized what I was doing.

"You little piece of shit!" she screamed as the second guy grabbed me by the shoulders. I pushed his arms off and knuckle punched his throat before elbowing him in the jaw, slipping my leg behind his and spinning him to the floor.

"omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii," I continued. The first guy yanked me backwards by pulling my hair and then threw me spinning across the road. The gravel hit my face hard and I felt blood on my cheeks.

"omnis legio," I groaned just as the woman kicked me in the stomach. I wasn't expecting it.

"Shut your mouth!" she ordered, pulling me up by my hair. As soon as I was face to face with her, I jabbed her sternum and threw two hooks, sending her backwards. I turned to see the other two demons standing a few feet away, ready to go for round two. The anger built in me and I used the rage to charge forwards at them, not waiting for them to make the first move. My speed threw them off guard and before they knew it, I had the kicked the living shit out of one of them and I had the second one in a hold which was about to dislocated his shoulder.

" omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, draco maledicte." I continued, panting. Suddenly my head was smashed into the ground and my vision left me for a moment. My head flung back as someone kicked me in the face and I felt that same someone take a seat on my stomach. As my vision readjusted, I saw the woman sitting atop of me, her hand wrapped around my neck.

"Say another word and I'll rip your tongue out." She threatened my, tightening her hold on my throat.

"Ecclesiam tuam securi tibi-" my own scream cut me off as she placed her hand on my shoulder and pressed down, crushing my bones.

"How'd that feel, you little whore?" she asked, smiling at me. I felt another pair of hands grab my face and position it so I was looking straight at the woman. I noticed that both men had recovered and were now surrounding me on the ground. "Where is the angel vessel?" she asked again.

"facias libertate servire," I groaned, tears rolling down my face at the pain that was still in my shoulder. The man didn't hold back… he punched my face to the left, causing me to spit out blood. Then he grabbed my already injured shoulder and squeezed, making me scream bloody murder.

"You're going to die tonight, Winchester." He sneered as I whimpered, trying to pull away from him.

"Go to hell." I spat. "te rogamus, audi nos." I finished, slumping back on the ground as the three of them let go and stepped away from me. I expected to hear them scream, generally as the black smoke left their bodies and traveled back to hell but instead when I looked up, I saw the three of them half frozen in their spots. They were convulsing as if something from within them was trying to get out and suddenly, they eyes shone a bright light.

I shifted backwards, not sure what was about to happen but confident this was not how usual exorcisms went. The light became brighter and brighter until I had to shut my eyes… and then I felt a strong heat. I peeked through in time to see the meat suits go up in flames… and the black smoke burn away in mid-air. Nothing disappeared into the ground and there was no trace of the human bodies either.

Everything had just been… destroyed.

I slumped backward, my shoulder unable to hold me up any longer. God, I just wanted to pass out. Instead I reached down to my pocket and pulled out my phone, just as it started ringing. I didn't even look at the caller I.D, I just answered, knowing it was one of the two.

"Where are you?" Sam asked quickly and I involuntarily coughed up a little more blood. "And please tell me Jimmy's with you." He pleaded.

"I'm… across the main road." I croaked before the phone dropped out of my hand. I pushed the back of my head against the road and groaned as another wave of pain passed through me. I thought Sam was asking me something but his voice was drowned out. I just needed him to come and get me.

I wasn't sure if my shoulder was dislocated or cracked… it definitely wasn't broken. I knew the difference. It felt more cracked which meant I'd have to have it bound. The tears were rolling down my face but I wouldn't succumb to sobbing just yet. I tried to distract myself by making pictures in the stars but all I saw were sparkling dots.

In the distance, I could hear my name be called out, but I wasn't sure. I turned my head slightly and noticed two very familiar silhouettes turn the corner, both armed. I saw them just as they saw me and suddenly they were running. A weight lifted off me as they got closer and I saw their faces.

They both stopped in shock as they took in my limp form and bloody face, then they were both crouched beside me.

"My shoulder…" I coughed up more blood as Sam put his hand on my head and lifted it up a little so it wasn't resting on the road. Dean put his gun down and shrugged of his jacket while Sam pulled me up; carefully avoiding my shoulder. He knelt behind me, allowing me to lean back on him while Dean covered me in his jacket and brushed some hair away from my face.

"Who did this?" he asked as I winced again.

"Demons." I replied.

* * *

"Why the hell did you leave without us?" Dean asked, still pissed. He'd taken me back to the motel room and both he and Sam had done the best they could to patch me up. Unfortunately, there was nothing much they could do to relieve the pain in my shoulder, leaving me a whining mess.

Dean was furious… absolutely furious. Every time he uncovered a new bruise or cut on me, his anger grew and I saw the vein in his head threatening to explode. He wanted to kick the shit out of something but we had to put all that aside and find Jimmy first. It was safe to say that when Dean did get his hands on Jimmy, he was going to takes his anger out on the vessel.

"I told you Dean, I went to get some fresh air and I saw Jimmy making a run for it." I replied, adjusting myself beside Sam. He put his arm around me and allowed me lean on him. I was sitting between the boys in the front seat as Sam had insisted. He was feeling pretty guilty for letting Jimmy give him the slip and seeing me beaten up wasn't helping him feel any better. "I didn't have time."

"And tell me again what happened with the demons." Dean said, focusing on the road. I sighed before answering.

"There were three, a girl and two guys. They were looking for Jimmy and they thought I knew where he was. I didn't have any weapons so we had a fist fight and I exorcised them." I explained for the twentieth time.

"And the reason there were no meat suits left behind?" Dean asked, still unable to believe my story.

"Everything burned up." I said quietly. "The bodies and the black smoke."

"Are you sure you were seeing things alright? I mean, you said they slammed your head." Dean added with gritted teeth.

"Yes, I was seeing things fine!" I defended myself. "Just take my word for it… alright?" I said with a little anger. How many more times did I have to convince them? "Wait, do you two think I've lost the plot?" I asked. Dean shook his head immediately but I noticed Sam glance away quickly. Ruby still had her claws in deep and Sam still thought I'd imagined Ruby at the cottage.

"Ankle-biter, I'm just checking." Dean told me, trying hard not to upset me anymore than I already was. I looked back over at Sam, contemplating on whether I should call him out for thinking I was partially crazy. He already looked so broken up about me getting jumped; I decided to let him off the hook for the time being. I rested my head against Sam's shoulder, trying to get some rest.

"Hey, guys." A voice came from behind us.

"Whoa!" Dean jerked the steering wheel in surprise and the Impala swerved onto the wrong lane until Dean got control of the wheel again. "Jeez!" he exclaimed looking in the rear view. I clutched my shoulder, which had rammed into Dean, in pain as I twisted my head to see Anna sitting in the backseat.

"Smooth." Anna remarked as we all caught out breath after the brief scare. Sam looked down at my shoulder, noticing the pain I was in.

"You ever try calling ahead?" Dean asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"I like the element of surprise." Anna replied and Dean glanced back at her.

"Well, you look terrific." Dean said with a little sarcasm. I realised he hadn't seen her since she got her grace back… months ago.

"Um, yeah, not the most appropriate time, Dean." She replied and he shrugged happily. He didn't seem to realise I was writhing in pain beside him. I shoved his shoulder in annoyance, getting his attention.

"What?" he asked, glancing down at me.

"Anna," Sam said in all seriousness. She looked over at us for the first time and noticed my bruised face. Her eyes darkened as she took me in and then she glared accusingly at Sam and Dean. "You gotta fix her." He begged. She reached forward without hesitation and placed her two fingers on my forehead. I felt a tingling sensation and suddenly I wasn't in pain anymore. I lifted my left arm, testing my shoulder and grinning when it didn't pain. I leapt forward and pulled Anna into a hug, kissing her cheek in happiness.

"Thank-you." I mumbled as I crawled over the seat. I felt both Sam and Dean shove my swinging legs away from them as Anna grabbed my arms and pulled me towards her. I sat beside her, throwing my arms around her again, so glad she was okay. She returned the embrace, patting my back lightly.

"What happened?" she asked, placing her hand on my shoulder and casting disapproving glances at Sam and Dean, as if it were their fault I'd been injured.

"I got jumped by some demons-" I replied, "while I was chasing after Jimmy." I added reluctantly.

"Demons?" Anna asked. "What did they want?" she asked me with serious eyes.

"Jimmy, who else?" I replied, leaning back in my seat.

"Of course they did." Anna muttered, looking back at Dean. "That's why I came," she explained, "You let Jimmy get away?" she accused him. She expected big things from Dean. Sam looked uncomfortable and Dean spared him a glance.

'Talk to Ginormo here." He pushed the blame onto Sam, saving face in the presence of Anna. Sam glared at Dean before looking back at Anna.

"Sam." Anna said quietly, narrowing her eyes at him. "You seem different." She noted. He glanced uneasily at me and then Dean… like he was trying to cover something up.

"Me? I don't know. Heh. A haircut?" he replied jokingly.

"That's not what I'm talking about." She said, giving him a meaningful look before focusing on Dean again. We were going to have to deal with Sam later. "So, what'd Jimmy tell you? He remember anything?" she asked.

"Why? What's going on?" Dean asked, communicating through the rear view again.

"It's Cas. He got sent back home." She said with a heavy heart. "Well, more like dragged back." She added.

"To heaven?" Dean asked glancing back at her. "Why?" he asked, a little confused. We all remembered what had happened last time Cas got dragged to heaven… he'd come back different.

"He must have seriously pissed someone off." She replied, staring into space.

"Cas said he had something to tell me. Something important." Dean explained.

"What?" Anna leaned forward in interest.

"I don't know." Dean replied. It almost seemed like Sam and I didn't exist to these two.

"Does Jimmy know?" she asked.

"I don't think so." Dean replied.

"You don't think so?" Anna asked annoyed. "Whatever it is, it's huge. You gotta find out for sure." She told him. Anyone else would have received a punch from me by now for speaking to Dean like that but Anna was family and she had every right, in my eyes.

"That's why we're going after Jimmy." Sam defended Dean and himself.

"That's why you shouldn't have let him go in the first place. He's probably dead already." She remarked. "It's bad enough you lost the vessel but I put Alexis in your care and come back to this-" she motioned to my now healed shoulder. Like I had already said… Anna, Micah and Nathaniel had all grown overly protective of me. I was a real charmer.

"It's not their fault." I told her taking her anger off them and bringing her attention back to me. "There's a lot I need to fill you in on." I said. I went on to tell her about Reema, Ash's death, Cas' promise to find out what Reema was, Nathaniel's visit and his information regarding the bruises and finally the demons that had gone up in flames.

She left soon after that, seemingly more troubled than she was when she arrived, but promising to 'figure things out'.

"Well, that was a little intense." I remarked, leaning forward.

"She may be intense but I have plenty of time for anyone who looks out for you like that." Dean replied, staring ahead.

"Well, then you guys are going to love Micah and Nathaniel." I added, smiling a little to myself at the thought of them. Green eyes flashed before me and I blinked quickly, my heart beat increasing. What was going on with me? "Then again, you probably trust Anna because you slept with her." I pointed out. Dean grinned and Sam smiled, looking away.

"Well, there's that." He nodded mischievously. My mind wandered back to what Anna had told me at the cottage. She was in love with Dean and I had totally forgotten to tell him!

"So, let's not ignore all that tension between the two of you." I said, leaning further forward and smiling. Sam grinned, waiting for Dean's response as well.

"What tension?" he asked, not fazed by my question.

"Dean!" I whined, "Can't you tell Anna's in love with you?" I asked. Dean's eyes widened a little in confusion and even Sam seemed shocked by my words.

"What makes you think that?" Sam asked, even more curious than Dean as to how I came to that conclusion.

"Because she told me." I replied.

"What?" Dean asked, turning his head to look at me. I nodded at both of them and they glanced at each other.

"Dean, the reason she made such an effort to look after me at the cottage was because of you." I explained, smiling at how cute that was. "Then she fell in love with me too." I grinned.

"You know there's a difference between love and sexual attraction, right?" Sam asked me, finding it hard to believe.

"Oh yeah, I know the difference and I'm telling you… she's not just 'attracted' to you." I replied, patting Dean's shoulder. "What do you think?" I asked him. Dean continued to stare ahead.

"I think I'm human and she's an angel." He replied stoically. Was that going to stop him?

"But you slept with her!" I retaliated, loving the idea of Dean and Anna together.

"When she was human, Lex. She's not anymore and there's a line you don't want to cross." He said. Was he trying to get a message across to Sam or did he really feel that way about Anna? The car became silent as Sam looked away and I looked down at my hands.

Dean had crushed me a little. I couldn't tell if it was because he'd killed the idea of him and Anna or if it was because those green eyes kept flashing before my eyes.

We drove for about an hour in silence, taking in the scenery and actively not annoying each other. All I could think about was Anna and how much she liked Dean. Every once in a while my mind would wander off to Nathaniel and I'd silently freak out in the back seat, trying anything and everything to get him off my mind. An hour from Jimmy's house, which I'd tracked down, Sam broke the sacred silence.

"I need a pit stop." He said, motioning to the upcoming gas station.

"What for Sasquatch?" I asked, trying to get on his nerves. Dean pulled into the lot and I leaned forward as Sam went to get out. "Wait, shouldn't we escort you before civilians start reporting bigfoot sightings?" I asked. Sam slammed the door in my smiling face, before rushing inside. I shuffled to the door and got out as well, taking in the fresh air. "Sammy cero, Lex uno." I stretched as Dean followed me out and leaned on the hood of the Impala.

"You feeling okay?" he asked, noticing my flushed face. I panicked a little, knowing for sure I was not about to tell Dean about Nate.

"Swell." I replied, looking away uneasily. It bothered me that Dean didn't accept the human-angel union. "Were you serious about you and Anna?" I asked, getting straight to the point. "I mean, did you mean it or was it just a subliminal message to Sam about Ruby?" I asked, sitting beside him.

"As much as I'd love to keep reminding Sam that Ruby's a poisonous bitch, I was serious. Angel and humans don't work together like that… plus our lifestyle hardly allows for 'love'. Love becomes a liability." He said, looking down at me.

"But you love me and Sam." I pointed out, hurt that Dean didn't see love in his future. He smirked at me before starting ahead.

"Unfortunately." He said. I gasped in feigned horror.

"Take that back." I ordered him.

"Your negotiation skills suck." He commented as I stood up and moved in front of him so we were face to face.

"Don't make me kick your ass, bro." I threatened and he just laughed at me as Sam came back to join us.

"Just get in the car Lex." He said, pushing me towards the door. Sam looked a little on edge so I stopped between him and car door.

"You okay?" I asked, touching his arm. He didn't look one-hundred percent either.

"Fine." He replied without emotion, moving past me. Jeez, talk about moody. A lot of the time, Sam competed with me in being the girl of the family.

* * *

"So this is where Cas gets to be a domestic housewife." I said, the three of us staring at the large, suburban home. Two minutes ago, we'd confirmed Jimmy was inside when another man, a neighbour, had entered the home. Jimmy and his wife, Amelia, were both inside but we weren't sure about Claire just yet. We had to wait for the neighbour to leave before we could bust down the doors and yank Jimmy back out.

"Yeah, this whole bloodline and true vessel thing is weird." Sam remarked, scoping the yard from the front seat.

"I could pretend I'm selling girl-scout cookies." I suggested before looking down at my clothes. "Or maybe not." I corrected myself.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Dean interrupted, reaching for the door. He raced out as we turned to see Jimmy's silhouette, through the curtain, beating the living shit out of his neighbour.

"Holy fuck." I muttered at how vicious Jimmy was being as I jumped out of the car alongside Sam. I ran to the left side of the house while Sam and Dean went for the back door. The laundry door was unlocked and I slipped inside quietly, hearing Jimmy and Amelia arguing in the distance. I guess she still didn't believe in demons. My heart dropped as I saw Claire run past, alone.

Before I could do anything, the neighbour appeared from around the corner, grabbed Claire and put a knife to her neck.

"Hold still now." He said to her quietly. I peeked into the dining room as I saw Jimmy and Amelia enter, both running after Claire. Jimmy saw her first and stopped instantly as he noticed the knife.

"Damn it." He growled.

"Hey, pal. Told you I'd gut the bitch." The neighbour smiled at Jimmy.

"Roger." Amelia breathed in shock, scared to move.

"Daddy?" Claire whimpered, terrified in the strange man's hold.

"Just let her go, okay?" Jimmy begged, putting out his arm out calmly.

"Now, me, I would, but the missus, she has other ideas." Roger said. Out of nowhere, a woman grabbed Jimmy and threw him to the ground, punching him in the process. Amelia and Claire both screamed and when the woman glanced back, her eyes were black. Perfect. Just fucking perfect.

"Oh, my God. No!" Amelia exclaimed before jumping on Mrs Rogers, but she was thrown back in an instant. I pushed myself out of the laundry and ran to Amelia's aid as Dean appeared behind Roger and slit his throat with the demon knife. Mrs Rogers glanced over as Dean shoved Roger aside and pulled Claire to his side. I helped Amelia up as Mrs Rogers tried to make a run for it but Sam stopped her, holding out his hand and using his powers to hold her at bay. Dean and I both looked back at Sam, waiting for instruction.

"Go. Get them out of here." He ordered. Jimmy scrambled to his feet and I pulled him and Claire with me, out of the house.

"Come on." I told them, shoving the door open and getting them outside. When I turned back, I realised neither Sam nor Dean were with me. I looked around… neither was Amelia.

"Where's your wife?" I asked Jimmy, keeping my hand on Claire's shoulder.

"Right here." Amelia said from behind me, holding a jacket. She placed it around Claire and I stepped away from them, looking for Sam and Dean. To my relief, they bust out of the house two seconds later, jogging towards the car.

"Let's go." Dean ordered, walking around the Impala. Sam opened the door and let me slide in first, the three of us in the front while Jimmy and his family got in the back. Dean peeled away from the curb, not looking back.

* * *

"You were right." Jimmy said to us as we stood outside the Impala. Dean had pulled up to a parking garage, allowing us time to regroup. I glanced over at Amelia and Claire, both of which were still sitting in the back seat.

"I'm sorry we were." Dean offered kindly.

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything." Jimmy told us, again. I nodded sympathetically.

"I don't think they're inclined to believe you." Dean replied.

"And even if they did, you're a vessel. They're still gonna wanna know what makes you tick." Sam added.

"Which means vivisection, if they're feeling generous." Dean told him.

"I'm gonna tell you once again, you're putting your family in danger. You have to come with us." Sam said firmly. Jimmy glanced back at his wife and daughter… my heart tugged a little.

"How long? And don't give me that 'cross that bridge when we get to it' crap." Jimmy asked and Sam looked away frustrated.

"Don't you get it? Forever. The demons will never stop. You can never be with your family. So you either get as far away from them as possible or you put a bullet in your head." He said, his voice getting louder. Dean and I exchanged skeptical glances, shocked that Sam was being so damn abrupt. Although it was true, Sam was never the one to deliver the harsh messages. That was generally Dean. "And that's how you keep your family safe. But there's no getting out and there's no going home." Sam finished furiously.

"Well, don't sugarcoat it, Sam." Dean muttered.

"I'm just telling him the truth, Dean. Someone has to." Sam shot back. I guess I wasn't the only one who had put on a tough exterior when Dean went to hell. Sam had been forced to make changes too, in order to survive. He had become just as ruthless as me.

"I'm sorry Jimmy." I said to him as he looked down helplessly. "If there were any other way-" he cut me off by turning around and walking away from us and towards his family, mid-sentence. I had forgotten this was the vessel and not Castiel, but it still hurt to be ignored.

"I'll go get a car." Sam said, walking away and I sighed.

"This sucks, Dean." I muttered, looking over at Jimmy who was crouched beside his wife.

"I know." He replied. Sam ended up bringing the car to us, while Dean and I waited by the Impala.

"Okay, so, uh, here's your car." He said to Amelia, walking past her. Jimmy held Claire, resting his forehead on hers.

"Hey. Take care of your mom, okay, bub" he said quietly.

"Okay." Claire replied timidly. He stood up straight and walked to the Impala, getting in the back with me. I didn't look back as we drove away, knowing that it would break my heart to see the two girls. Jimmy turned away from me and stared out the window and I took that as my cue to leave him alone.

Sam pulled out his laptop and I had no idea what he was doing but apparently it was important. Not even ten minutes into the drive, it started pouring down with rain so I gazed outside, watching the droplets of water fall, ignoring all else.

"What the hell happened back there?" Dean asked, pulling me from my day-dream. I glanced over at Jimmy who was now asleep and then at my brothers. What were they talking about?

"What?" Sam asked.

"You practically fainted trying to gank a demon." Dean explained. I leaned forward so I could see Sam's face.

"You did?" I asked. This was news to me.

"Okay, I didn't faint. I got a little dizzy." Sam retaliated.

"Well, you can call it whatever you want. Point is, you used to be strong enough to kill Alastair. Now you can't even kill a stunt-demon number three?" Dean asked.

"Hold up, why couldn't you exorcise the demon?" I asked him.

"Exactly," Dean reiterated. "what's going on with your mojo? I mean, it's yo-yoing all over the place. I'm not trying to pick a fight here, okay? I just – you're scaring me, man." Dean admitted.

"I'm scaring myself." Sam muttered. Well that wasn't good. Turns out, Sam's news wasn't the worst thing that was going to happen that night. Sam's laptop beeped and the next thing I heard sent me into a panic.

_"You can take that camera and shove it where the sun don't shine you psychopathic bitches!" _I heard my own voice scream. Dean and I both looked over to see the last thing I ever wanted to see in my life. It was the damn video.

The video Ruby had taken of me when Lilith was pulling my heart out. The video where I caved in less than a minute and begged for help. The video Lilith wanted my brothers to see. I leapt forward and tried to shut the screen but Sam shoved my hand away as Dean pulled up to the side of the road. My screaming and crying tore through the speakers.

_"Dean, I really do hope you're enjoying the show"_ Lilith sneered and Dean glared at the screen like she was actually there. _"It's not every day you see your sister like this. I'm sure it feels good to see someone dish out the punishment she deserves for everything she's put you through." _Lilith turned to me in the video, where I was bound._ "You need to pay for every time you've screwed with my work. I hope this hurts." _She said before scratching the air above my body. My screams grew louder and Sam's hands tightened.

"Turn it off." I said. "Turn it off now!" Neither of them listened to me as they watched the blood pour out of the scratches. Lilith smiled as I continued to scream.

"Is this-" Dean growled.

"Yes, okay, it is. Just stop it!" I begged, not wanting to hear what came next. Sam was in some sort of trance, his eyes glued to the screen, anger radiating off him.

* * *

**Dean**

I was about to kill something. I couldn't think straight… all I could see, all I could feel was rage. Overflowing rage, all throughout me as I watched the bitch from hell put her hands on my baby sister.

_"That's right," _Lilith sneered as she grabbed my Lex's lower lip._ "Just like your brothers. You don't want to show your pain but who cares whether you scream or not Alexis? Nobody is here." _Tears were streaming down Lex's face and her body was shaking. She stopped sobbing for a moment and Lilith leaned in close. _"Do you have something to say?" _she asked_._

_"Rot in hell." _Lex whispered. Lilith smiled at Lex and I wanted to rip that smile right off her face. She pulled out a vial of something red, removed the stopper and poured a drop on Lex's chest. I glanced back at Alexis and she looked away, ashamed.

"Lex?" I asked her, wanting her to look at me. She was groaning in pain in the video but my attention was on the Lex that was here with me.

_"Finally, a moment to toy with you, without the other two Winchester's interfering. It's like a dream come true." _Lilith laughed and I heard Lex scream again. Every time she cried it hurt me more than anyone would ever know… this was more torturous to me than the time I spent in hell with Alastair.

_"Come on Lexie, tell them to save you and I'll stop the torture." _Lilith said. I kept my eyes on Lex in the backseat and she buried her head in her hands. Lex gasped in the video.

_"Sammy." _Lex breathed and I felt Sam tense beside me. I couldn't do this anymore. I opened the door and got out of the car, walking around to Lex's door. She was on her way out of the car too and Jimmy had awoken beside her but none of that was going to stop me. I pulled the door open, stopping Lex in her tracks and crouched beside her.

_"What was that you said?" _Lilith asked in the video. Lex cried out in pain again.

_"Sammy." _she sobbed.

"Lex." I whispered, trying to make eye contact with her.

_"That's better. You hear that Sammy, she's calling for you." _Lilith taunted._ "AGAIN." _She bellowed and Lex screamed again.

_"Dean. Please." _My heart dropped as I heard it. She had called for me and I hadn't been there.

_"Dean, are you listening to this? You took thirty years and she gave it up in less than an hour." _Lilith giggled. I was going to destroy her. I was going to pull her apart for ever laying a hand on Alexis.

_"Leave him out of this." _Lex spat at her. I heard a slap.

_"Why should I leave him out of this when it's all his fault. Being Dean Winchester's sister you should be able to take at least twenty years of this before you give up. Maybe Dean should have trained you. You hear that Dean. Your sister couldn't take a fraction of what you took and she's going to die because you didn't train her… to endure." _

"Alexis." I said firmly, trying to get her attention on me. Why the hell wasn't Sam turning it off? She stood up and got out of the car, walking past me. "Lex." I followed her and grabbed her arm before she got out of reach.

"I can't-" she breathed before I pulled her around and placed my hand on the side of her head, needing to see her face. "You weren't supposed to see that." She said, unable to meet my gaze.

"Would you look at me?" I asked her lifting her chin up. There was a lot of shame in her eyes but no pain. When I couldn't figure Lex out, her eyes always gave her away.

"It didn't take long for me to break." She whispered. This is what she's been battling with for the past few months? How quickly Lilith had elicited a response from her? I hated myself even more with every passing second. How hadn't I figured it out? How could I let her get hurt? Things had been different ever since I'd come back from the pit but things were about to change. It wasn't Sam or Lex's job to make the hard decisions or take punishment… that was my job. Lex should have been able to tell my anything… my problems shouldn't have gotten in the way of that.

"It's okay." I said to her. Hell had no idea what was coming for them. I was going to kill everything and everyone.

* * *

**Sam**

_"Finally, a moment to toy with you, without the other two Winchester's interfering. It's like a dream come true." _Lilith laughed and Lex screamed again. I was going to kill her. I was going to kill Lilith.

_"Come on Lexie, tell them to save you and I'll stop the torture." _Lilith said making Lex gasp as she telekinetically pulled at her heart. I had spent so long not believing Lex and this is what I'd been ignoring. I hadn't believed what my little sister had been begging me to believe.

_"Sammy." _Lex breathed. My skin crawled and I tensed watching the one person I loved most in the world cry out for my help. Where the fuck had I been?

_"What was that you said?" _Lilith asked as she pulled at Lex's heart again, causing her to cry out.

_"Sammy." _she sobbed. It killed me to see Lex so helpless and without us to protect her from the evil that was Lilith. Lex should always be able to rely on us. Always.

_"That's better. You hear that Sammy, she's calling for you." _Lilith taunted._ "AGAIN." _She bellowed and Lex screamed again.

_"Dean. Please." _Nothing but Alexis mattered now. I was never going to let Lilith touch Alexis or Dean ever again.

_"Dean, are you listening to this? You took thirty years and she gave it up in less than an hour." _Lilith giggled. She had already thrown Dean into hell and now she'd hurt the one innocent thing we had left in our broken family.

_"Leave him out of this." _Lex spat at her. Lilith slapped her in anger.

_"Why should I leave him out of this when it's all his fault. Being Dean Winchester's sister you should be able to take at least twenty years of this before you give up. Maybe Dean should have trained you. You hear that Dean. Your sister couldn't take a fraction of what you took and she's going to die because you didn't train her… to endure."_ Lilith was going to die, even if it was the last thing I did. She wasn't going to hell… she was going to burn up for every coming near my family.

_"Castiel." _Lex breathed. Lilith reached out and choked her.

_"Don't you dare." _She said in anger. Lex looked directly at the camera.

_"I'm okay." _she mouthed weakly and smiled. With one final scream, the screen went black_._ I just stared ahead, trying to control my anger. In the distance I heard my phone ringing. Mechanically I reached down and answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hi, Sam. Could I please speak to Jimmy?" the woman asked.

"Who is this?" I asked, barely thinking straight.

"Amelia." She replied. Right, of course. I turned in my seat and handed Jimmy the phone. "It's your wife." I told him, looking out the window, seeing Dean and Lex make their way back to the car.

"Amelia?" he asked. There was a silence as Lex and Dean got back into the car. "Oh, my God." Jimmy muttered. What now?

* * *

**Lex **

"Alright, they're expecting you to come alone. That's exactly what you're gonna do." Dean told Jimmy as we got out of the Impala.

"We'll work our way through the catwalks. We'll be right behind you." Sam assured him as I stared up at the large abandoned warehouse.

"All you gotta do is stay calm and stall. Let us do our job." Dean told him.

"You want me to stay calm? This is my family we're talking about." Jimmy replied, putting his trench coat back on. He seemed a little more like Castiel with it.

"Listen to me, this will work. You understand? Nobody's gonna get hurt." Dean said firmly.

"Yeah, whatever. Give me a minute, okay?" he said, walking towards the warehouse. We didn't like it but he deserved his minute.

"There's no way they're expecting him to come alone, Dean. You know this is probably a trap." Sam asked.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I have a plan." Dean replied. "You going to be okay?" he asked and I turned around when I realised he was talking to me. Both Sam and Dean had concerned expressions on their face but what they didn't realise was the fear Lilith had instilled in me, had disappeared after Anna and Cas had come to my rescue. I wasn't scared or hurt… I was ashamed I couldn't hold my own like Dean and dad had.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I replied.

"You sure?" Sam asked cautiously. I rolled my eyes at them.

"If there's one thing I can do right, it's this. Have a little faith." I told them as I watched Jimmy walk back towards us. "Come on, it's game time." Sam led the way, walking towards the side container and kicking his way up. I followed his lead but before we could do anything, Dean got jumped by some demon. He groaned as the demon picked him up by his collar and I jumped back down to his rescue. As soon as I was on the floor, I went flying backwards into the container as a female demon tackled me backwards.

I was dragged to my feet and somehow Sam had been caught too. This was not how I had pictured the night going. The three of us were led into the warehouse, the demons man-handling us the entire way.

"I am alone." Jimmy said as we turned the corner. The demon had a painful grip on my arms, plus my body was hurting from the tackle.

"Oh, you're such a liar. Like I didn't think you'd bring Heckle, Jeckle and baby crow, hmm?" she asked. I was offended that she was referring to us as birds.

"Nice plan, Dean." Sam muttered.

"Yeah, well, nobody bats a thousand." Dean replied.

"Depends on your definition of 'bats'" I grinned as Sam rolled his eyes at me.

"Got the knife?" Amelia-demon asked. One of the demons holding Sam held up Ruby's knife in triumph. "And you know what's funny?" she asked, taking a step closer.

"You wearing a soccer mom?" Dean replied cockily.

"Is I was actually bummed to get this detail, picking up an empty vessel. Sort of like a milk run. Now look who landed in my lap." She said calmly.

"Yeah, well, you got us, okay? Let these people go." Sam said from beside me.

"Oh, Sam. It's easy to act chivalrous when your Wonder Girl powers aren't working, huh?" she smiled and both Dean and I cast him a glance. "Now for the punch line. Everybody dies." She announced. She held up the gun, aiming it at Sam before turning to Jimmy and pulling the trigger.

"Hey!" I yelled as Dean's eyes widened in shock. Jimmy fell to his knees, holding his bleeding stomach. Amelia-demon turned to one of the men holding Sam.

"Waste Little Orphan Annie." She ordered before leaving the room. He stepped forward and made his way to the unconscious Claire who was still bound to the chair. He picked up a pipe and swung at the little girl.

"NO!" I screamed, kicking away from the demon and lunging forward. To my surprise, Claire grabbed the pipe with one hand and put her other hand on the demon's forehead. His eyes shone bright and he screamed as he was exorcised. Claire had an angel in her.

I felt a pair of hands grab me and fling me backwards. I went flying through the air and my back hit the wall, before I slid to ground. Sam and Dean had used the distraction to turn on the demons holding them. Two more demons came running from the back of the warehouse and set their sights on me. I was in trouble.

In the distance I saw Claire burn away the ropes that were restraining her. She stood up and walked towards Jimmy. I recognised the look in Claire's eyes… it was Castiel.

The lady demon that had thrown me into the wall and the two new demons were closing in on me. I pulled myself to my feet and twisted out of the way of the lady demon, only to roll into the other demon. He grabbed my jacket and punched me twice. I blocked the third punch only to have the second male demon punch me in the gut. I doubled over and felt someone's elbow connect with the back of my neck.

I pushed myself back and leaned against the wall, as the three of them stepped closer. In my peripherals, I saw Claire exorcise the demon that had been pummelling Dean. I was about to take some serious hits and I braced myself for the impact. As I prepared to block the next punch, it was blocked for me. I put my arms down to see my guardian angel.

Nathaniel stood in front of me, his broad shoulder blocking my view. I saw a bright light ahead of me as Nate exorcised the demon who'd thrown the punch. The other two took a step back but Nate didn't let them escape. He grabbed the other male and shoved him against the wall beside me, fury in his eyes. He pressed his hand against his forehead and I shut my eyes as the light grew.

He dropped the man and spun around, searching for the woman who was making a run for it. He put his hand out and telekinetically pulled her back towards us, catching her around the neck and exorcising her. I breathed heavily, my gaze travelling to Dean, who was looking at me and Nate in relief. Both of us turned to see Sam pinning the female down and cutting her neck with the demon knife.

I looked on in confusion as he missed the vital veins and instead just made her bleed. The night had been pretty shit up until this point but nothing topped what I was soon about to see. Sam lowered his head and began drinking the demons blood, straight from her neck, like he was vampire. His actions had Cas, Dean, Nate and myself frozen, watching him in horror.

He sat up and looked at us, stopping when he noticed our stares. His head flipped around to see Dean and Cas – still in Claire's body - behind him, with identical looks of disbelief. Sam turned back around, lifted the demon knife above his head and stabbed the woman in the heart, killing her in seconds. Dean looked pissed, really pissed and disappointed. Sam stood up, faced Dean and put out his hand. Dean stared at the hand, shocked and confused until he heard Amelia groan behind him, at which point he stepped aside while Sam exorcised Amelia with his recharged psychic powers.

Amelia dropped to her knees and Dean shot Sam one more look before crouching beside her and helping her up. Claire walked over to Jimmy, who was still dying from the gunshot wound. Nate turned to face me and I moved my attention to him.

"Anna told me about earlier." He said, searching my face for injury. "I wasn't watching you at the time but if I had known-" his jaw clenched.

"I'm okay." I assured him quietly. I glanced back at Sam uneasily. "I have to take care of this." I told him, looking down. He spared Sam a glance before looking back at me. "It's not good, is it?" I asked, still in shock after watching Sam drink demon blood.

"No." he answered honestly. "But it can be fixed." He assured me. I looked around at the three bodies surrounding me and felt a little relief. Nathaniel had saved me… again.

"You have to go." I reminded him and he nodded, looking down at me. I grabbed his jacket before he could disappear and his eyes travelled to my hand. "Thank-you." I said softly. He smiled lightly at me.

"Always." He replied. Then he was gone and I was holding the air. I sighed, feeling my heart flutter again. This time I didn't mind. I turned around and walked over to the crowd as Jimmy came to stand by Sam and Dean, except he wasn't Jimmy anymore. He looked back over at Amelia and Claire who were holding each other, before turning around and walking away.

"Cas, hold up. What were you gonna tell me?" Dean asked.

"I learned my lesson while I was away, Dean. I serve heaven, I don't serve man, and I certainly don't serve you." He said with a cold expression. It had happened, he'd been re-educated, just like last time. Castiel turned back around and walked away from us, not sparing us a second glance.

* * *

"So who was that angel?" Dean asked me as we drove through the rain. Neither one of us had brought up Sam's actions just as yet but Dean seemed pretty interested in what had happened with me.

"Nathaniel." I replied, staring at the back of Sam's head.

"He couldn't stick around?" Dean asked, watching me through the rear view. I shook my head.

"He's still running from heaven." I replied and he nodded.

"Well, we owe the guy one." He said, gratefully.

"Why?" I asked. Nate had saved me, not Dean, and my older brother wasn't one to just hand out favours.

"He saved your ass. The guy's on my Christmas list." Dean remarked. A weight lifted off me as I realised Dean liked Nate. I'd feared their first meeting might've gone south but I was relieved to know there was no tension. There was silence in the car for approximately another fifteen minutes before Sam finally spoke up.

"All right, let's hear it." He said, looking first at Dean and then at me. There was so much I wanted to say to Sam.

"What?" Dean asked and I did a double take. How on earth could he ask what? He saw what Sam had done… he saw the drinking of demon blood atrocity. I was angry as hell which meant Dean had to be furious.

"Drop the bomb, man. You saw what I did. Come on, stop the car, take a swing." Sam suggested.

"Yeah, stop the car." I said to Dean, more than happy to take a swing at Sam for being a complete idiot. Dean kept driving to my disappointment.

"I'm not gonna take a swing." Dean replied. Since when had Dean become soft?

"Why the hell not?" I asked, glaring at Sam.

"Then scream, chew me out." Sam said to Dean.

"I'm not mad, Sam." Dean said softly, staring ahead. I froze in my seat, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Come on. You're not mad?" Sam asked skeptically.

"Nope." Dean replied.

"Well, I'm pissed!" I interrupted them, narrowing my eyes at Sam. "What the hell is the matter with you?!" I asked him, remembering the blood that had been smeared around his mouth.

"Don't, Lex." Dean told me and I turned to look at him in confusion.

"Dean-" I started.

"I said, don't" he gave me a pointed look and I shut up, sinking back in my seat. What was going on?

"Right. Look, at least let me explain myself." Sam started but Dean shook his head.

"Don't. I don't care." He said, staring ahead.

"You don't care?" I asked, my facial expression mirroring Sam's.

"What do you want me to say, that I'm disappointed? Yeah, I am. But, mostly, I'm just tired, man. I'm done. I am just done." Dean said hopelessly. Before I could say anything, Sam's phone rang.

"Hey, Bobby." He answered as I gave Dean a look in the mirror. This wasn't like Dean… something else was up but I didn't know what. "What's going on?" Sam asked. How could he just give up? Sam was drinking demon blood… this was bad. Even Nate had said so. We had to do something about this, starting with giving Sam an earful about being a dumbass. A close second was shoving the demon knife right through Ruby's heart. Sam hung up and looked down at the phone.

"What'd he say?" Dean asked, looking over.

"Bobby needs us at his place. Apocalypse business." He explained. I was on the verge of screaming… I didn't need another problem at the moment otherwise I would actually lose my mind. There was only so much I could take.

* * *

Bobby directed us down to the basement and towards the panic room. Sam took the lead, with Dean and Bobby following close behind. I was still pouting because Dean was being difficult, so I hung back, trying to make an evident point that I was not happy.

"Well, thanks for shaking a tail." Bobby said as we continued to walk ahead.

"Yeah, you got it." Dean replied as Sam opened the heavy panic room door.

"Go on inside. I wanna show you something." Bobby said and Sam stepped inside while Dean hung back. I gave him a confused look as I went to walk forward but Dean grabbed my jacket from behind and held me away from the door. Something was going on.

"All right. So, uh, what's the big demon problem?" Sam asked from the centre of the panic room, finally looking back at us.

"You are." Bobby replied and I looked up at him with wide eyes. "This is for your own good." He said before he and Dean heaved the door shut trapping Sam inside. Dean bolted the door and secured the lock as Sam walked towards the barred window. These guys were joking right? We weren't going to lock Sam up, that was crazy!

"Guys? Hey, hey. What?" Sam asked as Bobby latched the window shut. Dean pulled me further back from the door. "This isn't funny. Guys! Hey! Guys?" he yelled from the other side.

"What are you doing?" I asked, pushing Dean off me and glaring at both him and Bobby. "Let him out." I ordered them but neither moved from their spot. Fine, if they weren't going to do it, then I was. "Hold on Sam." I called out, walking towards the door but Dean stepped in my way with a very stern expression.

"No." he said plainly.

"Lex! Dean!" Sam yelled from inside.

"This isn't how you fix things, Dean!" I hissed at him.

"This is exactly how you fix things." He replied.

"How?" I said through gritted teeth.

"Bobby, let me out!" Sam yelled and Bobby looked to Dean.

"Upstairs." Dean said to me, pointing to the stairs.

"Not without Sam." I shot back. Dean stepped closer to and stared me in the eyes.

"Upstairs." He repeated dangerously. I rolled my eyes and stepped back, heeding Dean's request and making my way up the stairs. Sam was still yelling in the background and it was hurting me. What the hell had gotten into Dean!?

"How is this any good for him?" I asked, spinning around so I was facing Dean when we finally reached the living room.

"He's hopped up on demon blood," Dean explained. "…so Bobby suggested we detox him." Bobby came over to us and directed his words at me.

"This is the only way we know how to fix this Alexis." He said. "Sam needs that toxic stuff out of his system. He would have never agreed to it." He explained and I sighed, looking away.

"We could have talked to him first, Dean." I said to him. "We still can!" I pleaded with him. "Maybe he'll listen to us." Dean shook his head.

"Ankle-biter, we just got to do this. There's no other way." He said. I hated Sam for letting the demon blood take over and I wanted more than anything for it to be out of his system but I didn't agree with this. I wasn't ready to just lock up my brother in cell and bleed him dry.

"Why didn't you say something to me?" I asked Dean.

"This was my decision." He stated and I reeled backwards.

"Your decision?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't believe Dean had the nerve. "Your last decision sent you to hell! You left us alone topside!" I yelled at him. "Stop making your own decisions." I growled at him. Dean stepped up to me, closing the distance between us.

"I can see what that did to both of you." He said plainly. "I'm helping Sam with his demon shit and you-" he looked away.

"What about me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. He turned back to me with a stern expression.

"I'm sorry you've been making the hard decisions, Lex. I know you've been picking up the slack while Sam and I deal with our own problems, but not anymore. I'm going to fix things." He said. Dean had noticed my changing personality and he didn't like the fact it was upsetting me. How did he always know these things?

"What do you mean I've been making the hard decisions?" I asked. How much did Dean know about my dark feelings? Dean kept his eyes on me, and suddenly I remembered he was my big brother. He had raised me and he knew me better than I knew myself.

"There were a million signs but I didn't know for sure until you swan dived into that vent at Adam's house." He said, his gaze never wavering. "You've always loved fighting but ever since dad, I've never known you to willingly jump into an enclosed space." He said looking down. "How much must you have changed to overcome your fear like that?" He asked, mostly to himself.

I hadn't even realised that the vent should have brought out my claustrophobia. Luckily Dean always had his eye on me and he was always paying attention.

"I let it go on for too long but everything's going to go back to how it was before." He said looking back at me. "Sammy's going to stay down there until he's clean and you're going to stay up here and let it happen." He said firmly.

I looked away, a little flustered at the fact Dean was taking charge. He was right, I had been defending myself ever since he'd gone to hell and it felt unbelievably calming to have my Dean, back the way he was before he'd been snatched from us.

"I-" I breathed, my eyes wandering to the basement stairs.

"Alexis," Dean called to mean I looked back at him. "I'm going to make him better." He said with determination. "We'll get Sam back."

Any other day I'd believe Dean in a heartbeat but Sam's screams in the background, somehow made me feel differently this time.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the chapter! **Go ahead and review!**

If you like the story go ahead and follow it so you get notified when I post the next chapter. Remember to review, if you tell me what you like I can incorporate it into my story!

* * *

**FYI -** I just wanted to let you guys know why the last update was delayed and why the next on will be as well. My exams are coming up so naturally I'm spending a lot of time on that. My exam period is from the 27th of October to the 8th of November. From the 8th of November to the 25th of November, I will be moving houses and finally I will have my wisdom teeth taken out on the 25th of November, rendering me useless until the 1st of December.

I should get a chapter up within that period but I'd like to assure you that after that is my summer break and I'll be back to uploading a new chapter weekly, just like I used to before, plus additional one-shots! Btw, for those of you who don't know, I live in Australia so my holidays are very different to those people who live in the northern hemisphere :)

Also, due to the massive outbreak of bushfires here, the weather has been severly screwed for the past week, causing people who have never had hay-fever before in their lives, to suffer the symptoms... aka me, which is why this chapter has taken a little longer to update than planned, in addition to the studying I'm doing for exams.

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**SEASON 9 **- I'd just like to say the new season is turning out to be awesome! There are theories being thrown around that Ezekiel is working for or is Lucifer, which would make me insanely happy. Seeing as Cas has lost his wings, maybe the future will turn out to be like 5x04 - The End!

* * *

**Review Response**

******Sara.B** - I'm so glad you love Nathaniel too! We're going to see more of him in the future. Lex's emotions are being addressed and slowly you'll figure out what's going on. Keen eye my friend x

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**Guest -** Update is here :D

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Emerald Princess 14


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